


The Name Is Rossi - David Rossi

by Skater2



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-15
Updated: 2014-04-16
Packaged: 2018-01-12 12:57:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 74
Words: 31,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1186477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skater2/pseuds/Skater2
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>SOMEONE is trying to blow up Rossi’s car, with him and his new lady friend inside.<br/>SOMEONE set Kevin up with a new girlfriend, who isn’t who or what she claims to be.<br/>SOMEONE is trying to bug the FBI’s annual awards banquet.<br/>SOMEONE caused Rossi’s jeweler to disappear.<br/>Are all these occurrences a coincidence, or is SOMEONE out to get SSA David Rossi?</p><p>Sequel to North By Further North</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> I always intended to do a follow-up to my story North By Further North but never got around to it until now. Let me know what you think!

SSA David Rossi looked impatiently at his watch. On one of the few days when he had left work early to run an errand, he was stuck in traffic. Okay, the cars were moving again. As he pressed his foot on the gas pedal, he prayed he would arrive at the bank before it closed for the day.

A few cars behind David Rossi, an older, non-descript man in a black late model car applauded the traffic. It made it easier for him to follow his prey. Even though he was fairly certain he knew where they were headed, it added something of an adventurous feeling to his otherwise mundane afternoon.

Rossi arrived at the bank with time to spare. As he walked through the door, the manager rushed over. “David Rossi,” he greeted him with a professionally sincere handshake. “What can we assist you with today?”

Rossi smiled as they shook hands. As one of the bank’s biggest depositors, he was accustomed to premium service. Actually, he was jaded enough to expect it. 

“Good afternoon, Leonard,” he told the manager. “Actually, today I just need to visit my safety deposit box.”

“Right this way,” the manager guided him towards the back of the bank. “Lauren will be delighted to assist you.”


	2. Chapter 2

It was a beautiful fall evening as SSA Aaron Hotchner, accompanied by his girlfriend Beth, pulled up to the valet parking at Skyline Hotel in Quantico, Virginia. It was the evening of the yearly FBI Awards Banquet and Section Chief Erin Strauss had made it crystal clear that everyone on the BAU team was expected to attend.

As Hotch, dressed in a traditional tuxedo, and Beth, in a one-shouldered midnight blue evening gown, walked into the hotel lobby, he noticed that several members of his team were already there. After checking Beth’s wrap, Hotch led his date over to greet them.

“JJ,” Beth greeted the blond agent. “I love your dress! And, Will, you look so handsome in a tux!”

Will blushed. “Thanks!” he replied. “JJ convinced me this was a dress-up occasion.”

“It certainly is, Dear,” JJ told him. “I’m not going to all the trouble of getting dressed up, if you’re going to show up looking like you got dressed in the dark!”

The two couples turned to watch as a tuxedoed Reid, who was escorting both Blake and Garcia this evening, walked over to join them. Out of the corner of his eye, Hotch could see their Section Chief, Erin Strauss, as she made the rounds pumping hands and schmoozing.

“Do you know that the modern tuxedo was originally known as a tailless dinner jacket, and dates from 1885, when The Prince of Wales, later King Edward the Seventh, ordered several of them from his favorite tailor?” Reid informed the group.

“Not only smart, but good looking as well,” Garcia commented, squeezing his arm. “I am so lucky!”

“You and me both,” Blake agreed, causing the young agent to blush furiously.

“Has anyone seen Morgan or Rossi?” JJ turned to survey the room.

“Knowing Rossi, he has everything planned out to make a grand entrance,” Hotch commented dryly.

“I think he is bringing Amanda,” Garcia confided. “I know Morgan is bringing Lena. She’s arranged to get a couple of days away from her classes.”

“Don’t look now,” Beth commented, nodding towards the doorway. “But I think they are making their grand entrances together!”


	3. Chapter 3

Rossi and Amanda paused in the lobby while Rossi lifted Amanda’s cape off her shoulders. Standing slightly behind them, Morgan was helping Lena remove her lightweight coat. As Amanda turned to thank Rossi, the light reflected off the gold fringe-style necklace she was wearing, and JJ caught her breath.

“That has got to be ‘The Necklace’,” she breathed.

“I would assume so,” Hotch agreed. “It looks every bit as impressive as Rossi always described it.”

“I wonder if she knows?” Garcia wondered.

“Ah - What is going on here?” Blake asked. “I admit, it is a beautiful piece of jewelry, but what - ?”

Garcia glanced over at Blake. “You’re new here,” Garcia said. “You’ve never heard the story.” 

“It has to do with Rossi’s first wife,” Hotch filled in. 

“Okay, spit it out!” Beth told her boyfriend. “I want to hear about, too. And, I suspect you’ll want to finish the story before Dave joins us.”

“Alright, here goes” Garcia began. “As Hotch said, this goes back to Rossi’s first wife – Carolyn. As he tells it, when his first book hit it big, one of the first things he did was go out and buy a very expensive piece of jewelry for Carolyn - The Necklace.”

“When he gave it to her, she smiled and accepted it,” Hotch took over the story. “However, about ten days later when she left him, she left it behind. At the time, he took it as a sign that she was rejecting him.”

“He admits that it took him years to recognize the message she was really sending him,” Garcia took her turn. “She was telling him that she didn’t want a fancy piece of jewelry, she wanted him.”

“She just wanted him to pay more attention to her,” Hotch clarified.

“And, the necklace has been around ever since?” Blake asked.

“He told me it was in his safe deposit box,” Reid contributed. “He must have gotten it out.”

“It is gorgeous!” Beth agreed.


	4. Chapter 4

Amanda smiled at the group as she and Rossi walked over. “It is so good to see all of you again!” she exclaimed. “It has been a long time!”

“Too long,” Hotch agreed as he greeted her with a kiss on the cheek. “And, you look lovely this evening!” 

“Flatterer,” Amanda accused him, with a smile.

Hotch treated her to one of his rare smiles and then continued. “Amanda, I would like you to meet my friend, Beth,” he introduced the ladies. “Beth, I told you about Amanda.”

“Of course,” Beth offered her hand. “You were on the boat in Alaska.”

“Yes,” Amanda smiled at the memory as she shook hands. “And, take my word for it, Aaron looks much better when he isn’t green around the gills!”

The group joined in the laughter, and then Amanda turned to Reid. “Dr. Reid”, she teased him. “With two ladies, yet, I see!”

“Good evening, Amanda,” Reid, although blushing furiously, remembered his manners. “I am actually just a stand-in – “

Blake interrupted. “It is great to see you again,” she assured Amanda. “And, I must say, that is a beautiful necklace.”

It was Amanda’s turn to blush. “It is borrowed,” she told Blake as she fingered the hanging gold leaves. “And, as soon as this is over, it is going right back! I’m not used to wearing such exotic jewelry!”

“It looks perfect with your black dress,” JJ spoke up. “That off-shoulder look really shows off the gold leaves.”

“That’s what Dave said when I showed him the dress,” Amanda confirmed. 

“I told her that beautiful jewelry deserves to be seen – Preferably on a beautiful woman,” Rossi spoke up. “And,” he looked at her fondly, “I can see that I was right.”

“You certainly are,” Will agreed. 

“Will LaMontagne,” he introduced himself. “JJ’s husband.”

“So, you’re the one she talked about all the time we were on board ship,” Amanda offered her hand. “I am so glad to finally meet you!”

“Definitely my pleasure,” Will replied, taking her hand. A glance from Rossi cut off any further compliments he had planned.

“Garcia,” Amanda turned to the computer tech. “Lena tells me the two of you have been busy plotting and planning for this evening!”

“Well, she is being escorted by my most favorite profiler in the whole world,” Garcia told her. “I just wanted to make sure everything goes smoothly.”

“Never worry about that when I am involved,” Morgan strolled up with Lena on his arm. “Smooth is my middle name!”

“Yeah – right!” Garcia nudged him. “I remember plenty of times – “

“Okay – Okay,” Morgan cut her off. “I don’t need you giving Lena the wrong impression!” He looked affectionately at his date.

“Incoming!!!” JJ hissed under her breath. 

Everyone glanced towards the far end of the room, where they saw Strauss headed in their direction.


	5. Chapter 5

Erin Strauss was not particularly happy. Not only had David Rossi obviously been avoiding her for the past several months, but here he was, on her home turf, with another woman! And, as even Strauss had to admit, she was a very attractive woman. Time to get to the bottom of this!

“Erin,” she was intercepted by yet another colleague as she moved across the room. “I haven’t seen you in ages. Where have you been keeping yourself?”

“Richard,” she recognized a higher-up in The Bureau. “It has been a long time – Since when?” Even as she stood talking with the powerful Head of The Organized Crime Unit, she seethed with resentment towards Rossi’s unknown companion.

“Saved by - ??” JJ breathed in relief. “Who is Strauss is talking to?”

“Richard Wilson,” Reid supplied. “He’s Head of The Organized Crime Unit.”

“Well, we owe him a vote of thanks,” Garcia opinioned. “Unlike that snake-in-the-grass over there!”

“Where?” Lena was apparently up-to-date on Garcia’s latest escapades.

“There,” Garcia nodded towards the other side of the room. “Kevin had the nerve to show up with some strange woman.”

“I think I need a drink,” Rossi didn’t want to get caught up in what sounded like the beginnings of a cat fight. “Amanda, what would you like?”

“White wine,” Amanda smiled at him. 

“As you wish,” Rossi promised her. “Gentlemen, would you care to join me?” 

“Definitely!” Morgan also wanted to get out of the line of fire. “Lena?”

“The same,” his date smiled at him.

Reid looked questioningly towards Blake and Garcia. “White wine,” Blake requested. 

“Red, please,” Garcia voiced her preference.

“And, Beth?” Hotch wasn’t one to run from a confrontation but, at the moment, it seemed like a good idea.

“White wine sounds good,” she agreed, as the men turned to walk towards the bar.

“So, that is the infamous Kevin?” Lena asked, craning her neck to get a better look.

Amanda turned to Blake. “Who?” she inquired

“Ex-boyfriend, lots of drama,” Blake filled her in. 

“And, the woman who was headed in this direction before she got sidetracked?” Amanda was trying to keep the cast of characters straight.

“Um-m-m,” Blake wasn’t quite sure what to tell her.

“An old friend of Rossi’s,” JJ supplied with a smile. “I suspect there is some history there we aren’t privy to.”

“Oh,” Amanda picked up on the nuances. “I should prepare myself?”

“Might be a good idea,” Blake advised her.


	6. Chapter 6

The men soon returned with everyone’s drinks and conversation became general, covering current events as well as what everyone had been doing since returning from Alaska.

“Oh – Oh!” Garcia had been covertly watching the room. “Here comes Kevin.”

“Just stay cool,” Lena advised. “He probably just wants to make you jealous with his new squeeze. Don’t let him get to you!”

“Cool,” Garcia chanted to herself. “I will stay cool.”

“Hello!” Kevin greeted the group effusively as he walked up. “Nice to see everyone this evening!”

“Good to see you, too, Man,” Morgan responded. He turned to his date. “Lena, I don’t think you know Kevin,” he began. “He is one of our computer analysts.”

“Lena?” Kevin nodded his acknowledgement. “Nice to meet you. I’d like all of you to meet my date, Caryn. She’s an investigative reporter.”

“That’s cool,” Garcia didn’t sound convinced. “What, if anything, are you investigating?”

“I’m always working on several stories,” Caryn replied loftily. “However, I rarely give out details. I don’t want to compromise my investigations.”

“I see,” Garcia still didn’t sound impressed.

“Have you published anything I might have read?” Blake inquired.

“Well, I don’t know if you would have seen it, but I did have a short article in ‘The Journal of 2014’,” Caryn replied.

“A school newspaper?” Garcia questioned.

“Not just any school newspaper,” Kevin rushed to defend his date. “The Literary University is a school dedicated to the development of literary achievement.”

JJ had also been watching the room. “Here she comes,” she quietly warned the group. “Caryn, be prepared. You just may have a murder to write about!”

Strauss had apparently ended her conversation with Richard Wilson, and was again headed across the room towards the BAU group.


	7. Chapter 7

“Dave,” Strauss greeted Rossi with a forced smile as she walked up. Her attempt to sound friendly contrasted with her aggressive body language.

“Erin! How nice to see you!” Rossi greeted her.

“I see your whole team is here,” Strauss observed. “Along with some guests,” she added.

“Yes,” Hotch intervened. “We were lucky everyone was free this evening.”

“Aren’t you going to introduce me?” Strauss’ request sounded more like a demand.

“Of course, where are my manners?” Hotch was nothing if not the Southern Gentlemen. 

“I believe you have met my friend, Beth,” he began. “And, this is Kevin’s date for the evening, Caryn. Caryn is an investigative reporter.”

“I certainly hope you’re not here researching a story!” Strauss lost no time in warning the woman. 

“Is there anything here that I should be researching?” Caryn asked her sweetly.

Strauss just stared at her.

“This is Lena Carlisle, Morgan’s date for the evening,” Rossi inserted smoothly. “And, accompanying me this evening is her mother, Amanda. We met them on the cruise ship the team was on in Alaska.”

“Ms. Strauss,” Amanda smiled and held out her hand. 

Strauss had no choice but to take it. “Ms. Carlisle,” she gave her rival a reptilian glance. “And, what is it that you do?”

“I oversee my family’s various interests,” Amanda replied calmly. “I find it is a full-time job.”

“You’re being modest,” Rossi chided her. He turned to Strauss. “Besides overseeing several family enterprises, Amanda heads a foundation dedicated to funding research into closed head injuries,” he told her.

“My late husband was a victim,” Amanda explained.

“I see,” Strauss’ reply was brief. She was obviously staring at the necklace around Amanda’s neck.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” she added belatedly. 

“Thank you,” Amanda replied.

“Erin, here you are,” a short, portly man strutted over to the group. “I have some people you really need to meet.”

“Colin,” Erin greeted him. “I didn’t see you earlier.”

“Well, you are seeing me now,” he stated. He looked the group over as if trying to decide if they were worthy of his attention. “Dave,” he acknowledged the famous writer. “If you don’t object, I’m going to steal Erin away for a while.”

“Colin”, the greeting was cool. “No problem. Erin, I’m sure we’ll see you again later this evening.”

As the mismatched couple walked away, Blake drew a deep breath. “That was ‘interesting’,” she commented.


	8. Chapter 8

“And, if you’ll excuse us,” Kevin commented as he drew Caryn away. “I see some people over there I want to introduce Caryn to.”

As Kevin and Caryn walked away, Garcia drew a deep breath. “That was close,” she commented. “I really, really wanted to hit him!”

“Stay calm,” Lena continued to counsel. “Remember, what goes around, comes around.”

“I’m proud of you, Baby Girl,” Morgan contributed. “That took real class!”

“That is an unusual hair clip Caryn is wearing,” Beth commented offhandedly. “It seems to be so – I don’t know – Sparkly?”

“Her hair clip?” Blake said. “Now that I think of it, it reminds me of something, but I can’t think of what.”

Morgan turned to covertly study the hair ornament. “I don’t know,” he contributed. “But, from this angle, it looks almost as if there is a wafer of some sort between the hair clip thing and the decoration on top.”

“What?” Hotch came to full alert. “Could she be bugging us?”

JJ turned to her husband. “Will?”

“That type of thing is usually handled by our specialists,” he commented. “But, from this angle it does seem rather – thicker? – than it needs to be.”

“It could be nothing,” Reid pointed out. “After all, what kind of information could anyone expect to obtain at a gathering of this nature?”

“There’s only one way to find out,” Garcia was outraged. “Nobody makes a fool out of Kevin or out of us. Let me at her!”

“No – No Way! You don’t want to make a scene,” Lena told the upset tech as she put a hand on her arm to restrain her. “There has to be another way.” She looked at her mother.

“I think I know how,” Amanda said slowly. “I’m going to need some help, though!”

“Do I want to know what you are planning?” Rossi asked his date.

“Just girl stuff!” Amanda smiled at him.


	9. Chapter 9

After a quick discussion, the women began walking towards the hallway leading to the restrooms. As they passed Kevin and Caryn, JJ turned to speak to Caryn.

“We’re going to make a trip to the ladies’ room before they announce dinner,” she told the reporter. “Maybe you would care to join us?”

Caryn looked at Kevin and then back at the group. “Well, I don’t know,” she began.

“Oh, come with us!” Beth encouraged her. “You don’t want to have to get up in the middle of the meal!”

“We’ll be right back!” Lena assured her.

“Go on, Baby,” Kevin encouraged her. “I know you ladies. Always working to make yourselves even more beautiful.” To Garcia it sounded like he was making a futile attempt to sound like a suave man of the world. 

“Okay,” Caryn sensed something, but she wasn’t quite sure what it was. Turning to Kevin, she smiled. “I’ll be right back, Sweetie,” she promised.

Within seconds, the women had swept Caryn down the hall and into the ladies’ room, where they quickly surrounded her.

“I have a question for you,” Garcia began. “And, you had better think carefully before you answer it.”

“We need the truth,” Blake added seriously.

“That clip in your hair – Where did you get it?” JJ asked.

“This clip?” Caryn put her hand up to cover it. “Well – I have had it for – awhile now.” She backed up against the sink. “What’s going on? Why are you doing this?”

“I need to take a look at it,” Blake declared. She held out her hand. “Hand it over.”

“You don’t understand,” Caryn was looking scared. “I have to – “

“You have to – what?” Garcia demanded. “Make a fool of Kevin?”

“No! Never! I never intended to do that!” Caryn protested.

“The clip!” JJ demanded.

Sobbing, Caryn took the clip out of her hair and handed it over to Blake.

“It does seem to have some electronic device concealed in it.” JJ watched as Blake examined the hair decoration. 

“I can’t tell what it is,” Blake declared. “But it does resemble one of the new small listening devices I’ve seen on the market.”

“Well, I know what we can do with it,” Amanda said decisively as she held her hand out to take the hair decoration.

JJ glanced at Blake. “Well, we probably should handle this in-house,” she decided as Blake handed the clip over. 

The women watched as Amanda placed the hairclip on the floor and smashed it under the heel of her shoe. Picking up the pieces, she walked into a stall, dropped them into a toilet, and flushed.

“Now, as for you – “ Garcia address Caryn. “Here is what you are going to do – “

“Penelope!” Lena warned. “You don’t want to stoop to her level!”

“Lena’s right,” Blake chimed in. “We need to handle this quietly.”

“That’s okay,” Garcia drew herself up to her full height. “What I was going to say is that Ms. Investigative Reporter here is going to spend the rest of this evening in Kevin’s company, falling all over him and making him feel like one very lucky man. And, when the evening is over, she is going to go home with him where she had better make sure he has ‘the night of his life’. Something he will always remember. What she does after tomorrow morning, I really don’t care!”

With that pronouncement, Garcia flounced out of the room.

“You heard her,” JJ looked at Caryn. “Any questions?”

“You don’t understand,” Caryn pleaded.

“What I do understand is that you are either setting Kevin up or you are setting The Bureau up,” Blake told her. “If there is something else going on, you had better tell us about it – Now!”

The door to the restroom opened and Erin Strauss stepped into the room. “Am I interrupting something?” she inquired.

“No, of course not,” Amanda gave her an innocent smile.

“We’re just leaving,” Blake added.

The group swept out the door, taking Caryn with them.

When the women returned to the reception, Amanda immediately resumed her place at Rossi’s side. 

“What was that all about?” he inquired, raising an eyebrow.

“Girl stuff,” Amanda repeated with a smile. “Nothing you need to worry about.”


	10. Chapter 10

The young man winced as the sound of the listening device being crushed under Amanda’s heel came through his earpiece. When they had recruited the girl they had realized that it was a long shot at best, but this definitely was not what he had been expecting. He was going to have a ringing in his ears for the next week!

Initially, the entire scenario had seemed pretty straightforward. The people involved were FBI, but they were psychological analysts and computer techs, not field agents. The assumption was that all they needed to do was to bug the annual awards dinner to find out if anyone was aware of the secret hidden within the ‘item’. Then, they would know what kind of plan needed to be devise to retrieve it. Some blackmail might eventually be necessary but, if that was what it took – So what? People’s lives, livelihoods, and reputations were at stake.

“Okay!” the listener thought as he reached for his cell phone. “It’s time to go to the back-up plan!”

“Ivan?” he spoke into the phone. “We seem to have a problem!”


	11. Chapter 11

When dinner was announced, Hotch’s team discovered that they were seated at two side-by-side tables near the center of the room while Kevin and Caryn were seated two tables to their right. Throughout the meal, the women were able to continue their covert surveillance of the couple. 

When awards were handed out, the members of the team who were being honored accepted theirs to thunderous applause (thanks in part to Garcia). Then, the evening’s focus turned to the dancing.

“Dave, have I ever told you what a great dancer you are?” Amanda commented as they moved around the dance floor.

“It’s easy when I’m with you,” Rossi smiled at her. “Look over there,” he nodded towards the center of the floor.

“Lena and Derek?” Amanda observed, watching her daughter. “They do seem rather smitten with each other, don’t they?”

“He had better watch his P’s and Q’s,” Rossi threatened. “I may not be her father, but I am feeling rather protective at the moment!”

“Oh, Dave!” Amanda laughed.

“You know what I mean,” Rossi continued. “Morgan has quite a reputation!”

“Dave, you are hardly one to talk,” Amanda purred at him.

“We’re different!” Rossi insisted.

“Tell that to them!” Amanda suggested with a smile.

At another spot on the dance floor, JJ was trying to keep an eye on Kevin and Caryn as she danced with Will.

“Chér, what is wrong with you tonight?” Will asked. “You’re all over the place. You usually aren’t this uptight about dancing with me.”

“It’s just – things,” JJ replied. She looked at him. “Why don’t you ask Caryn to dance?” she suggested.

“I’d rather dance with my wife,” Will objected. “But, if you insist?”

“I just want your opinion of her,” JJ gave him their special smile. “You know Kevin’s record for getting involved with the wrong type of woman.”

“So, you want me to check her out?” Will wasn’t particularly surprised. “Okay, if you insist!”

The next song found JJ dancing with Kevin, while Will maneuvered Caryn around the floor.

“Where did you meet Caryn?” JJ asked innocently. “She seems a change from your usual girlfriends.”

“You mean she’s not a computer geek?” Kevin asked. “Is that what this is about? You don’t believe I can have a regular girl interested in me?”

“No, it’s not that,” JJ hurriedly assured him. “It just seems that she isn’t as outgoing as your usual dates.”

“Well, she is plenty outgoing,” Kevin assured her. “That’s how I met her. I was in the computer warehouse store and she came up and asked me for help. That’s how outgoing she is!”

“That sounds great!” JJ hurried to sooth Kevin’s ego. “She would need to be able to do that if she is a reporter. How long ago was that?”

“Almost three weeks ago,” Kevin bragged. “We could tell right away we were meant to be together.”

“Well, Kevin just met her,” JJ later reported to the other women. “And, it sounds like she targeted him.”

“Bitch!” Garcia hissed. “She probably thought he would be an easy target, and that she could use him to get inside information on The Bureau!”

“Not so fast,” Blake cautioned. “There might be more to this than we realize.”

“Caryn did mention a ‘He’,” Beth pointed out.

“What did Will say?” Amanda asked. “I saw him dancing with her.”

“Not much. Apparently, she was pretty closed mouthed,” JJ reported. “He did say he got the feeling she was upset about something and trying to hide it.”

“I’ll bet she’s upset!” Garcia seethed. “She’s upset that she got caught!”

“Careful, Penelope,” Lena warned. “Let’s just wait and see what happens during the rest of the evening.”

“We’ll continue keeping an eye on her,” Beth suggested. “If anyone sees anything out of line, we can signal each other.”

“Well, she had better make sure Kevin wakes up tomorrow morning with a smile on his face!” Garcia declared.


	12. Chapter 12

When the evening ended and everyone went outside to collect their vehicles, they discovered that a light rain had been falling. As the group stood under the portico patiently waiting for the valets to bring their cars around, everybody was discussing their plans for the remainder of the weekend.

“Dave suggested a trip to The Botanical Gardens Conservatory,” Amanda mentioned to Beth. “And, I think Lena and Derek have their own plans.”

“It must be hard,” Beth sympathized. “Trying to keep an eye on a daughter while dating yourself.”

“You have no idea,” Amanda laughed. “I have to constantly be concerned about setting a good example!”

She looked towards the drive. “There’s Dave’s car now.”

“Well, Good Night,” Beth gave her a light hug. “It was great to finally meet you!”

“Are you ready?” Rossi called out to Amanda as the valet opened the door of his rather impressive luxury vehicle.

“It was great meeting you, too. Hope to see you again!” Amanda replied as she began walking towards the car. 

No one had noticed that Kevin and Caryn were standing, arms entwined, behind the group.

As Amanda began getting into the car, Kevin suddenly called out, “Rossi, Stop! Don’t let her get in there!” He rushed over to pull Amanda away from the vehicle.

“What?” Rossi jumped back from the car.

“In the puddle, under the car, there in the reflection,” Kevin pointed. “There are lights flashing. There shouldn’t be lights flashing!” In his excitement, he was beginning to stutter.

Hotch quickly pulled both Kevin and Rossi back, away from the car. “He’s right!” he told the team. “Everyone, get away from the car! Morgan, call the bomb squad and then start clearing the area – Get Will to help you. JJ and Blake, stop everyone from leaving and gather all the remaining guests back in the ballroom. Start compiling a list of everyone who is still here. Reid, get hotel security to help you round up the parking valets and any other hotel employees who had access to the ballroom and the cars. Take them to the ballroom with the guests. Garcia, check with the head of hotel security and see if you can access their surveillance tapes for the past six hours. Kevin, speak with hotel management and see if you can arrange to get several rooms for us to conduct interviews in.”

As he was busily handing out assignments, Hotch didn’t notice the looks being exchanged by the women.


	13. Chapter 13

The Quantico Police quickly showed up, erected a police barrier around Rossi’s car, and began restricting access to the area. When the head of the team realized that Will was there, he asked Will to change out of his tuxedo so he could assist the police. He felt that with his knowledge of the evening’s events, Will would be an asset to the investigation.

When the bomb squad arrived, they moved everyone even further back and began their survey of Rossi’s car. 

“Do you know what this is going to do to my insurance rates?” Rossi moaned as he watched the bomb squad. “That car cost more than my first house!”

“Sorry, Sir – Agent,” the head of the bomb squad walked over to Rossi. “Even if we can disarm this device, it is definitely going to damage your undercarriage.”

“If?” Rossi questioned. 

“We’re doing our best, Agent Rossi,” the man replied.

“Are you checking the other cars in the lot?” Hotch asked. “You need to determine whether any of them have been tampered with.”

“The other members of my team are going through the lot car-by-car,” the head of the bomb squad assured him. “No one’s car is leaving here until it has been cleared.”

As Rossi watched the bomb squad going over his car, a dark colored SUV pulled up to the police barrier and a woman got out. After a brief, heated discussion with the officers monitoring the area, she stepped around the barrier and began stalking towards the agents.

“Aaron,” Rossi said softly. “Don’t look now but – “

“Agent Hotchner, what is going on?” Strauss’ voice rang out through the evening.

Hotch and Rossi looked at each other.

“Go on Aaron,” Rossi said sotto voice. “Tell her all about it. I’ll be inside.” He began walking towards the hotel.

“You, too, Agent Rossi!” Strauss wasn’t about to let him escape. “I want a complete report from both of you!”

“Nice to see you again, too, Erin,” Rossi said sarcastically. “It only seems that someone wants to destroy my car.”

“And, probably, you too,” Hotch contributed.

“And, Amanda,” Rossi quickly added. 

“Inside, both of you,” Strauss ordered. “I want all the facts, from the both of you. And, Dave, quit worrying about your car. I’m sure it will be just fine!”

“Easy for you to say,” Rossi muttered as they headed towards the hotel.


	14. Chapter 14

Inside the hotel, the women had gathered in the lobby to discuss the situation.

“Okay, who is going to tell him?” Garcia worried. There was no need to define ‘him’.

“Probably someone he can’t fire,” Lena suggested. “That means either mom or Beth or me.”

“I’ll do it,” Amanda volunteered. “I was my idea originally.”

“We all went along with it,” Blake pointed out. 

“Don’t worry,” Amanda assured the women. “I’ve weathered worse!”

“Don’t look now,” JJ hissed as everyone saw Strauss stalking through the door, trailed by Hotch and Rossi.

“Everyone, off to handle your assignments,” Beth told the agents. “Amanda and I will handle this!”

“And, I want a complete report on what you have done thus far,” Strauss was instructing the two agents as they entered the lobby.

“Aaron,” Beth called out. “I hate to bother you but I really need to talk with you.”

“Can’t it wait?” Hotch asked impatiently. “We have to update Chief Strauss.”

“Aaron, Caryn is missing!” Amanda decided it was best to begin with something that would get his attention.

“Caryn?” Hotch stopped and looked at her.

“Kevin’s date,” Lena reminded him. 

“Is anyone looking for her?” Rossi asked.

“JJ and Blake are checking everyone in the main ballroom while Reid rounds up the hotel staff,” Amanda spoke up. “And, Penelope is checking the security tapes.”

“When is the last time anyone noticed her?” Strauss interrupted.

Amanda, Beth, and Lena looked at each other. “When Kevin yelled at Dave not to get in the car?” Beth guessed.

“And, there is something else, too,” Amanda continued.

“We think we may know why she disappeared,” Beth confessed.


	15. Chapter 15

“You did what?” Strauss was outraged. “Without clearing it first?”

“May I remind you, Erin,” Rossi was trying to calm the Section Chief. “They aren’t members of The Bureau. They aren’t subject to our protocols.”

“Also, you were concerned about any adverse information Caryn might obtain concerning The Bureau,” Amanda pointed out. “We were merely putting a stop to that.”

“By destroying evidence!” Strauss’s voice was loud enough to be heard in the next state.

“How were we to know it was evidence of anything other than a nosey reporter bugging a Bureau function?” was Beth’s argument. “This isn’t exactly the type of gathering one would expect an international spy to attend!”

“She’s right about that, Erin,” Rossi agreed with Beth. “What we need to concentrate on now is tracking down Caryn.”

Hotch already had his cell phone out. “I’m putting out a BOLO,” he announced. “And, we need to talk to Kevin and find out what he knows about her.”

“In addition, we probably need to get someone to go down into the drains,” Rossi wrinkled his nose. “Maybe we can get some of the pieces of whatever it was back.”

“I’ll talk with the hotel management,” Strauss was resigned to the fact that she was going to have to get involved. “Let me see what I can convince them to do.”

Kevin entered the lobby and walked across to where the group was standing. “I’ve spoken with the hotel management,” he reported. “They are letting us have several rooms to use for interviews.”

“Good,” Rossi announced. “Because the first person we interview is going to be you!”


	16. Chapter 16

“How long have you known Caryn?” Rossi began the interview the minute the door to the conference room was shut. “And, what is her last name?”

“Caryn?” Kevin had obviously been expecting something else. “Oh No! I haven’t seen her since – “ He sounded panicky.

“Neither has anyone else,” Rossi informed him. “Now, last name, home address, and anything else you may know about her.”

“Her last name is – “ Kevin stopped to think for a moment. “I think it is Walters. At least, I think that’s what she told me when we first met.”

“You think?” Rossi asked, incredulous.

“Yes, it’s Walters,” Kevin stated definitely. “And, she is a student at The Literary University.”

“Home address?” Rossi questioned.

“I’m not really sure exactly where she lives,” Kevin admitted.

Rossi pulled out his cell phone. “Garcia,” he said after pushing a well-used speed dial number. “I need you to check on a Caryn Walters. And also check on The Literary University. I’ve never heard of it.”

“On it!” Garcia replied. “Anything else?”

“That will do for a start,” Rossi assured her.

He pushed another button on his phone. “Hotch,” he spoke into the phone. “The BOLO should be for a Caryn Walters. Garcia is checking further and will be getting back to me with what she finds.”


	17. Chapter 17

“You’re telling me that Kevin really doesn’t know anything about that woman?” Hotch asked, amazed.

He and Rossi were sitting in the conference room talking after having sent a chagrined Kevin over to the hotel’s security office to review the security tapes of the parking lot. Garcia, meanwhile, was busily running checks on the various people present that evening.

“It sounds to me like she was playing him,” Rossi confirmed. “She picked him up at a computer store and he fell for it.”

“Well, we’ve all been made fools of by a woman at one time or another,” Hotch said philosophically.

“Tell me about it,” Rossi agreed. “I have a divorce lawyer who can vouch for that.”

Rossi’s cell phone rang and he glanced at the screen before answering. 

“Okay, Garcia,” he spoke with the tech. “What do you have for me?”

“Am I on speaker?” she asked tentatively.

“No – Should you be?” Rossi replied.

“Well, I don’t want Kevin to hear this,” Garcia confessed. “He’s going to feel like a fool.”

“Well, maybe he should,” Rossi looked over at Hotch. “Just a minute – “ He nodded towards the door.

“Okay, Garcia,” Hotch spoke up. “Let me close the door first.”

After Hotch had secured the conference room door, Rossi put the phone on speaker. “We’re all set on this end, Garcia. What do you have for us?”

“To begin with,” the tech began, “Caryn Walters does not exist. No Where – No Place – No Time – Nada! Secondly, that school she supposedly attends? Again, Nothing – No Where – Nada! That woman is a fake from start to finish.”

“So, Kevin was being played?” Rossi stated. “The question is – Why? What can he give anyone?”

“Kevin does work for The Bureau,” Hotch pointed out. “Maybe she thinks he has access to more information than he actually does.”

“Or maybe she really wanted to get to someone else and was using him as a means to get her foot in the door,” Rossi theorized.

“Okay, Garcia, Thanks!” Hotch spoke up. “You are going to continue checking on the hotel staff and guests – Right?”

“Right as you can get!” Garcia replied before clicking off.

“Maybe Caryn is being coerced by someone,” Rossi suggested thoughtfully. “The women did say she mentioned a ‘He’ when they confronted her. 

“You are suggesting that Caryn may also be a victim?” Hotch suggested.

“I am saying, that is a possibility,” Rossi clarified. “The question is - what is ‘He’ after?”

“Well, it was your car that was targeted,” Hotch pointed out. “That means that you may be the target.”

“Or Amanda,” Rossi added thoughtfully.

Hotch’s cell phone rang, and he checked the screen before answering. “Kevin?”

“Sir,” Kevin sounded hesitant. “If you can come down here, I think I may have found something.”

“We are on our way,” Hotch replied.


	18. Chapter 18

When Hotch and Rossi walked into the hotel’s security office, Kevin looked up to verify who had arrived, and then turned his attention back to the computer screen in front of him. 

“I have been reviewing the parking lot security tapes,” he explained as he started running a film showing the parking lot. He stopped it abruptly and pointed at the screen. “And, watch – Right there!“ 

As he started the film again, the agents saw a white van driving slowly around the valet parking portion of the parking lot. After several circuits, it came to a stop directly behind Rossi’s car, blocking it from view of anyone passing by. Unfortunately, it also blocked the view from the security camera.

“Okay, whoever this is, they know where the security cameras are located,” Rossi observed. “Can we make out the license plate number?”

“Not very clearly,” Kevin replied. He backed up several frames and zoomed in on the front bumper of the van. “And, I don’t know. It just looks funny to me.”

Hotch leaned in for a closer look. “I think I know why,” he said. “It has been altered.” He pointed at the screen. “Look, this E must really be an F. Someone took –black tape maybe – and changed it.”

“And, the 8 may have originally been a 3,” Kevin suggested. “Let me get busy coming up with possible permutations of the number, and then I’ll run them all.”

“You will probably find that at least one of those plate numbers has been reported stolen,” Rossi guessed. “But, who knows, we may get lucky and get a lead from that.”

“Thanks, Kevin!” Hotch gave the tech a quick nod as he turned to leave.

“And, just to let you know, I’ve been played, too,” Rossi added as he followed Hotch out the door.


	19. Chapter 19

As Hotch and Rossi walked back to the conference room, Rossi asked. “Is there any reason to keep Amanda and Lena here?”

Hotch thought for a moment and then replied, “None that I can think of, but there is the fact that Amanda was getting into your car with you. We have no way of knowing whether she actually is the target.”

“I was going to suggest we send both of them back to my house,” Rossi explained. “I have a state-of-the-art security system there, and Anderson can go along to keep an eye on them.”

“That should work,” Hotch agreed. “Let me talk to Anderson. And, I’ll see if he can stop along the way and drop Beth off at her place.”

After a quick conversation with Hotch, Anderson was soon driving the women home in one of the Bureau’s standard black SVUs. After dropping Beth off at her condo on a side street in Quantico, he then turned back onto one of the main streets in the area and headed for Rossi’s house in the country.

“Sorry to take you away from all the excitement,” Amanda apologized as Anderson slowed down for an intersection.

“No need to apologize, ma’am,” Anderson replied. “I haven’t been on protection detail for a while and this will give me a chance to brush up on my skills.” He glanced in the rearview mirror again.

“Do both of you ladies have your seatbelts fastened?” he questioned as he pulled away from the cross street.

“Of course I do,” Amanda replied. “Lena?”

“Yes,” her daughter replied from the back seat.

“Okay then, hold on!” Anderson suddenly sped up and made a sharp right turn. Pushing the gas pedal to the floor, he raced down the short side street, and then quickly turned left. Slowing down, he studied the rearview mirror.

“Do you think we are being followed?” Amanda worried.

“There is that possibility,” was the cautious reply. “A dark sedan seemed to be behind us for an unusually long period of time. However, it appears to be gone now.”

Several blocks over, the driver of the dark sedan shook his head. He was definitely rusty. In the old days, no one would have noticed him. Soon all the parties involved would know of his group’s interest. Oh well, it wasn’t as if he didn’t know where the SUV was headed. He would just have to deal with the investigation that was sure to result sooner than he had anticipated.


	20. Chapter 20

When they arrived at Rossi’s home, Amanda and Lena waited patiently in the foyer while Anderson cleared the house. When he declared it safe to go inside, Lena immediately made a dash for the upstairs bathroom while Amanda led the way back to the kitchen.

“Are you hungry?” she asked Anderson. “Something to drink maybe?”

“I’m all set, ma’am,” Anderson told her. “But, thanks for offering.”

“Is it okay if I go upstairs and change my clothes?” Amanda had never been in protective custody before and wasn’t sure of the protocol.

“As I have already checked the area, there shouldn’t be any problem,” Anderson reported. “Just make sure you stay away from the windows and keep the curtains closed.”

“No problem there,” Amanda assured him. She then looked around. “Is Lena still upstairs?”

“Yes,” Anderson replied.

Amanda turned her back to him and asked. “In that case, could you help me with the clasp on this necklace? I don’t want to risk damaging it.”

“I’m not really sure,” Anderson began as he leaned closer to inspect the piece of jewelry.

“It shouldn’t be hard,” Amanda encouraged him as she picked up her hair. “If I remember right, the main clasp is just a simple circle thing with a little leaver that needs to be pulled back. Then, the security chain is more of the same.”

Anderson gingerly picked up the clasp and began manipulating it. “Okay, here you go,” he held the necklace loosely so Amanda could grasp each side. “I don’t think I damaged it.”

“Looks good to me,” Amanda agreed. “Thanks! Now, let me take this into Dave’s study and put it back into its box. Maybe I can find a place in there to lock it up over night.”

She held the necklace carefully in front of her as she walked towards the study. Anderson glanced over at it and then took a second look.

“Wait a minute!” he almost shouted it at her. “From this angle it almost looks as though – “ He reached for the piece of jewelry.

Amanda quickly handed the necklace to him. “What?”

Anderson carefully spread the necklace out, backside up, on the kitchen’s island, and cautiously separated the individual pedals. He then began examining the back of each pedal. 

“Does Agent Rossi have a magnifying glass around here?” he asked.

“Let me check in his desk,” Amanda offered.

She returned shortly with a high power magnifying glass, which she handed to Anderson.

“What can you tell me about this?” he quizzed her as he examined the pedals using the glass. “Where did Agent Rossi get it – and when?”

“I really don’t know much about it,” Amanda told him. “I understand it’s been in a safe deposit box for a number of years. Dave got it out yesterday so I could wear it this evening.

“I need to talk with Agent Rossi,” Anderson decided.


	21. Chapter 21

“I just want to let you know that we have finished compiling our list of everyone who is still here,” Blake reported to Hotch via his cell phone. “We have also completed preliminary interviews with everyone, including the parking valets and the hotel employees. It doesn’t appear as if anyone saw anything pertinent to our investigation. JJ, Reid, and I are now waiting for further instructions.”

“Did you get the list to Garcia so she can start checking everyone out?” Hotch asked. “I know she is already working on hotel employees so she should probably start on the valets next, and then guests, and finally people from The Bureau. She also needs to compare your list to the original guest list to see who has already left.”

“And, Blake,” Hotch glanced around to make sure Rossi was still on the other side of the room. “Could you ask Garcia to check out Amanda and Lena, too? I know she did a quick check on them while we were in Alaska, but I need her to make sure that neither of them is the target.”

“Understood,” Blake replied. “After all, Amanda was about to get into that car with Rossi. Now, I need to ask whether we can start releasing people to go home. Some of these people are getting kind of impatient.”

“We do have some pretty big names here,” JJ spoke up.

“Where is Strauss?” Hotch asked. “That probably should be her call.”

“Let me see if I can get her on her cell,” JJ suggested. “I’ll let you know what she decides.”

“If their car has been cleared, send them home,” was Strauss’ decision. “The majority of these people work for The Bureau. If we need to question them further, we know where we can find them.”


	22. Chapter 22

When Rossi’s phone buzzed, he glanced first at the screen and then at Hotch. “It’s Anderson,” he announced as he pushed the button.

“Anderson?” he answered. “Is everything okay?”

“Agent Rossi,” Anderson responded. “Everything is okay here at your house. However, your friend, Ms. Carlyle, and I have been looking at the necklace you loaned her to wear, and I have some questions.”

“The necklace?” Rossi glanced at Hotch. “What about the necklace?”

“Well, it appears that there is something embedded in one of the pedals,” Anderson began. “And, I don’t know a whole lot about jewelry, but it appears that there is something strange engraved on another of the pedals. It’s not like any jeweler’s mark I have ever seen.”

“That necklace has been in my safety deposit box for years!” Rossi exclaimed. “Although, I must admit, I never really examined it. Sit tight – I’m on my way home!”

He closed his cell phone and turned to Hotch. “Did you hear?” he asked.

“Yes!” Hotch told him. “Do you want someone to go with you? If the guests haven’t started leaving yet, I’m sure we can find someone here who knows about women’s jewelry.”

“Maybe we had better find someone who knows about bugs, too,” Rossi suggested.

It didn’t take long to locate an agent with the necessary expertise, and Rossi was soon walking out the door accompanied by Agent Williams, who had extensive experience with the recovery of stolen jewelry. At the last minute, on the off chance that the engraving might be a cryptogram of some sort, Rossi also decided to take Reid along.


	23. Chapter 23

As Hotch was taking out his cell phone to call Strauss and update her, there was a knock on the conference room door. After he called out a routine ‘Come In’, the door opened revealing Blake. However, it was the woman accompanying Blake who immediately caught Hotch’s attention as Caryn walked into the room.

“I thought you might be looking for me,” she began nervously.

“Why don’t you sit down?” Hotch told her, indicating a chair. “I think we need to talk.”

“First, is Kevin okay?” the girl inquired as she walked over to the chair. “I feel really bad about leaving him like that.”

“Kevin is just fine,” Hotch replied as he took a seat across the table from her. “And, you?” He noticed that while she was still wearing her evening dress, her shoes were now soaked through and muddy.

The young woman squirmed in her seat. “I think I owe you and everyone else an explanation,” she said. “Particularly Kevin.”

“Why don’t you start with just us,” Hotch motioned for Blake to join them at the table. “Then we can decide who needs to know what.”

“There are several things you need to know about me,” Caryn began. “To begin with, my name isn’t Caryn Walters. It is Evelyn Summers, and I’m not a student anywhere. At least not at the moment. I was attending Mid-Town University but I had to drop out when my mother got sick and the bills started piling up. She’s a single mother, and I have three younger brothers and sisters. That’s why when he called I agreed to do it.”

“Who called?” Blake asked.

“I’ve never been sure,” was the reply. “All I know is that I got a call on my cell phone outlining what he wanted me to do and offering me $500 if I would go along with it. When I hesitated, he upped the offer to $700, so I agreed to do it. It wasn’t anything hard, and didn’t sound like anyone was going to get hurt!” She began crying.

“Slow down, take a minute, and catch your breath,” Blake told Evelyn as she handed her a bottle of water and then placed a box of tissues on the table in front of her. “Then, we’ll go back to the beginning and you can tell us the whole story.”


	24. Chapter 24

After Rossi had parked the Bureau’s SUV in his front drive, he pulled out his cell phone, and pushed a preprogrammed number. “Anderson,” he spoke into it. “I’m in the front drive with two other agents and we are coming in.”

He turned to Williams and Reid. “Okay, let’s check this out,” he declared, as they climbed out of the SUV.

When he opened his front door and looked in, the first thing Rossi saw was Anderson standing in the shadows with his gun drawn. “It’s okay, Anderson,” Rossi held his hands up. “It’s just me, and I’m with Reid and Williams.” He walked into the foyer and turned the alarm system off.

“I had to be sure,” Anderson holstered his weapon and moved to the side so the agents could go further into the house. “Amanda – I mean Ms. Carlyle – Is in the kitchen along with the necklace.”

“Thanks,” Rossi led the way into the kitchen, where Amanda was sitting on a stool at the island, drinking a cup of coffee and staring at the piece of jewelry as it lay there.

“Dave,” she looked up and smiled at him. “It seems that this piece of jewelry has caused some excitement.”

“You’re okay?” he questioned as he walked over to hug her tightly. “And Lena?”

“Of course!” she assured him. “Agent Anderson has been taking very good care of us.” 

She looked over his shoulder. “Spencer!” she greeted the young agent with a smile. “Come to examine the artifact?”

Reid smiled and blushed. “Something like that,” he admitted as he pulled out a pair of gloves and put them on. 

“And, you are?” She looked questioningly at the other agent.

Rossi let go of her and turned to make the introduction. “Agent Williams,” he said gesturing. “He is our jewelry expert.”

“Ma’am,” Williams was also pulling on a pair of gloves. “This it?” he gestured.

“That’s it!” Amanda declared cheerfully. 

“There is one other thing,” Anderson had followed the group into the kitchen. “It is possible that we were followed on our way over here. However, I think I lost them.”

“I assume you have been checking outside?” Rossi asked.

“I have been keeping an eye on the monitors from your security cameras,” Anderson nodded towards the cabinet standing open in the corner of the kitchen. “As well as periodically checking out the windows. The road in front has been pretty quiet, and I haven’t noticed any movement in either the back or side yards.”

“Shit!” Rossi spit out. “I forgot to reset the alarm!” 

He rushed down the hall towards the front door but came to a sudden stop when two men, dressed completely in black, wearing ski masks, and brandishing guns, appeared in front of him and began herding him back into the kitchen.


	25. Chapter 25

“Everyone,” Rossi spoke as he slowly backed into the kitchen. “We seem to have some unexpected visitors.”

“What?” Anderson quickly moved to stand in front of Amanda.

“Everyone, keep your hands where I can see them,” the first masked man growled.

“Is that it?” the second man used his gun to gesture towards the necklace lying on the kitchen island.

“It depends on how you define ‘It’,” Reid began. “The word itself is an indefinite pronoun that can be applied to either animate or inanimate objects of either sex, although – “

“Shut up!” the second gunman demanded. “Instead of talking so much, why don’t you save everyone a lot of trouble by picking it up and handing it over?”

“You may want to be careful how you handle that necklace,” Williams spoke up. “I’m sure you don’t want to damage it.”

“Okay, mister wise guy, why don’t you pick it up and bring it over?” the first gunman suggested. “And, as for the rest of you, stay where you are, with your hands where I can see them, and no one will get hurt.”

“Aren’t you going to check us for guns?” Amanda asked. “Not that I have one, of course.”

“That would probably be a good thing to do,” Rossi added his opinion as he noticed some movement behind the two intruders.

Reid also noticed the movement and added his voice to the discussion. “He’s right, you know. You also probably need to – “

“Shut Up!” the second gunman was looking back and forth between the agents and Amanda. “You – There – “ he gestured to Williams. “Pick it up and bring it – “

 **“UMP!”** the first gunman gasped and reached up to grab the back of his head as a women’s bedroom slipper bounded off it and landed on the floor next to him.

As the second gunman turned his head to see what the problem was, Rossi quickly moved forward, grabbed his gun, and wrenched it from his hand. Meanwhile, Reid charged the first masked man and slapped his gun away. Williams then swiftly kicked the loose gun across to the far side of the kitchen floor.

As the two intruders stood there, stunned, Rossi and Reid quickly moved around behind them and grabbed their arms effectively restraining them.

Only then did everyone look over at the doorway behind the two intruders where Lena was standing, holding her other slipper. Amanda smiled proudly at her daughter. “I knew there was a reason I took you to see ‘The Nutcracker’ every year while you were growing up!” she declared.


	26. Chapter 26

When unmasked, the gunmen proved to be two pale complexioned young men, apparently in their mid-20’s. A body search revealed no identification of any kind, as well as no other weapons. As the two prisoners stood in the kitchen, with their hands restrained behind their backs, Rossi was the first to speak.

“Okay,” he addressed them. “Who sent you?”

Neither man’s sullen facial expression changed.

“You are obviously looking for the necklace,” Reid spoke up. “Would you like to tell us why?”

Again, there was no response.

“Strictly amateurs,” Rossi declared as he looked them up and down. “Look at their shoes. Those are actually Italian leather boots. They would never stand up if they needed to run any distance. And, if they went through mud or water - ”

“Their technique is pretty bad,” Reid agreed. “It appears they didn’t bother to determine exactly how many people were in the house before they broke in.”

“And, the guns they have are better suited for skeet shooting than for abducting people,” Williams added.

“How did they get close enough to the house to get in?” Anderson worried. “I’ve been watching everywhere!”

“There are two large vehicles parked in the front drive,” Rossi pointed out. “If someone were to come across the lawn directly behind them, they wouldn’t have been visible on any of the security cameras.”

“Besides,” he added ruefully, “I’m the one who forgot to reset the security system!”

“Do we call the local authorities or The Bureau?” Williams questioned.

We need to tie them up first,” Anderson suggested. “Where?”

“Back here,” Rossi led the way into the sunroom.


	27. Chapter 27

After tying their two captives to wicker chairs in the sunroom, the agents returned to the kitchen where Amanda and Lena were waiting for them.

“Who is going to interrogate them first?” Reid asked. 

“There is the question of jurisdiction,” Rossi pointed out. “Maybe I had better call Hotch and see what he would like us to do.”

“That sounds right,” Anderson agreed with him. “In the meantime, I’ll stay with them and keep an eye on them.” He turned and hurried out of the kitchen.

“And, Lena,” Rossi turned to look at her. “Young lady, I just want to tell you personally that ‘You done good!’” He beamed at her as she blushed and squirmed.

“Oh No!” Anderson’s voice echoed through the house.

Rossi, followed by Reid and Williams, rushed back to the sunroom to find Anderson standing in the middle of the room, staring at the remains of the chairs the two captives had been tied to. The lightweight cords that had been used to bind them were lying on the floor next to the broken chairs, and the outside door was standing open.

“Looks like they aren’t the only amateurs tonight,” Rossi commented dryly.

“And, that’s what I get for neglecting to tell my interior decorator that I needed furniture sturdy enough to tie prisoners to,” he added.

“What now?” Reid moaned.

“Well, I don’t know about you,” Rossi looked out the door into the now chilly night. “But, my first impulse is to let them go. They undoubtedly have a car nearby, so they are probably long gone by now. We can identify them if we see them again and, if we do need to find them, we shouldn’t have any problem.”

“Okay,” Anderson hadn’t been too anxious to go in search of the escaped men. “But, what are we going to tell Agent Hotchner – Not to mention Chief Strauss?”

“Well,” Rossi rationalized. “We never said anything to them to begin with, why start now?” 

Dejectedly, the agents returned to the kitchen where Amanda and Lena were sitting on stools talking quietly. Reid immediately went over to the island and again bent over the necklace with the magnifying glass. 

“Rossi,” Reid looked up. “I have been thinking, and I may have something.”


	28. Chapter 28

“Now, from the beginning,” Blake was speaking with Evelyn. “How did all this get started?”

“Well, as I said, after my mother got sick, I had to drop out of school to get a job,” Evelyn began. “I was lucky. I managed to get one at a local grocery store where I start my shift later in the morning. That way I can drop my two younger brothers and my sister off at school on my way to work.”

“Your mother is sick,” Blake backtracked. “I need to ask, what is wrong with her and where is she being treated?”

“She was diagnosed with hypertension several years ago,” Evelyn explained. “She managed to keep it under control with medication and diet. However, about nine months ago it spiraled out of control. She is currently being treated by Dr. Fallon at the University Hospital.”

“Is she in the hospital now?” Blake asked.

“She has had several short stays,” Evelyn told her. “But, at the moment, she is at home. She is okay if she watches what she eats and takes her pills.”

“So, someone at either the doctor’s office or the hospital could have realized that you had a cash flow problem and targeted you?” Blake observed. “Has anyone in particular asked you about that?”

“I guess so, maybe,” Evelyn answered slowly. “But, with three youngsters to keep an eye on, as well as taking care of my mother and a full time job, I just haven’t had the time to be terribly observant about things like that.”

“This type of person instinctively knows when they have discovered a target,” Hotch spoke up. “They would have gotten the information out of you without your even realizing it.”

“It is also possible that one of the children provided the information,” Blake suggested. “Has anyone shown any interest in them?” 

“They don’t go with mom to the doctor’s office,” Evelyn responded. “And, during their visits to the hospital they have been mostly confined to mom’s room. However – “

“What?” Blake asked.

“Could it be someone at their school?” Evelyn ventured a guess. “I have spoken to the people in the office there, as well as to several of the parents.”

“That is a possibility,” Blake conceded.

“You need to compile a list and we’ll have Garcia start checking,” Hotch added.

“Now, moving on,” Blake continued. “What exactly were you asked to do?”

As Evelyn began outlining the instructions she had received, there was a knock on the conference room door. Hotch nodded for Blake to continue while he got up and walked over to answer the summons. Opening the door, he saw JJ standing in the hallway and he stepped outside to speak with her.

“I just wanted you to know,” she began. “The bomb squad has finished clearing all the cars in the parking lot and the last of the guests are leaving. They didn’t find anything on any of the other cars.”

Hotch nodded. “Okay,” he was thinking of the next step. “I assume Garcia has already started checking on everyone?”

“Yes,” JJ assured him. “And, since Kevin has finished examining the parking lot surveillance tapes he has been helping her.”

“He didn’t find anything else?” Hotch assumed.

“Not a thing,” JJ confirmed. 

‘What about the license plate?” Hotch asked.

“He didn’t mention it, so I assume that is still a work in progress,” JJ said.

“Well, I have another name for Garcia to check,” Hotch told her. “We need any information she can get on Evelyn Summers. That is Kevin’s date’s real name, so make sure Garcia handles it personally.”

“Not a problem,” JJ assured him as she turned to leave. 

“Hotch!” the call echoed down the hallway. “I need to talk with you.” Morgan strode up. 

“Dave’s car?” Hotch guessed.

“That’s right,” Morgan agreed. “It turns out that the bomb was outdated technology. Some of the parts date back over 20 years. The bomb squad disarmed it fairly quickly. That’s the good news. Now, where is Rossi?”

“He and Reid went back to his house,” Hotch told him. “Something about that necklace he lent Amanda to wear tonight. I assume there is bad news as well?”

“Yeah!” Morgan smirked. “When the bomb squad disarmed the bomb, they did cause some damage to the undercarriage of the car. And, it is currently being towed back to the evidence garage so they can process it further, checking for any additional forensic evidence.”

“Dave loved that car!” Hotch exclaimed. “Who is going to tell him?”

“Not me, Man!” Morgan declared. “My responsibility ended with my telling you. I suggest you get one of the women to tell him. He’ll feel constrained to control his comments.” He smirked as Hotch nodded in agreement.


	29. Chapter 29

“Okay,” Rossi walked over to where Reid was bending over the necklace. “What do you see?”

“The markings on the back of this one leaf,” Reid positioned the magnifying glass over the leaf in question so Rossi could look. “They were deliberately made and appear to follow a pattern. This leads me to believe they are a code of some sort.”

“Can you decipher it?” Anderson was closely following the conversation.

“Not immediately,” Reid admitted. He held up his cell phone. “However, I took a picture of it with this camera and, if Dave will let me use his computer to enlarge it and print it out, I can start working on it.”

“Okay,” Rossi pointed at the door. “In my study - You know where it is.”

As Reid scuttled out the door, Rossi turned to Agent Williams. “You’re next?” he guessed.

“That’s right,” the agent agreed as he picked up the magnifying glass with a gloved hand and moved to get a better look at the leaf one over from the one Reid had examined. 

As Rossi watched the jewelry expert examine the necklace, he began thinking. “Anderson,” he spoke up. “You said you thought you were followed on the way over here?”

“Yes,” the agent replied. “But, I believe I managed to lose them before we got out of the city.”

“What did the vehicle look like?” Rossi questioned.

“Dark colored sedan, probably late model,” Anderson replied. “As you know, it was pretty dark out and I couldn’t get a good look while I was busy dodging down side streets.”

“Could you tell how many people were inside?” Rossi questioned further.

“Not really,” Anderson replied. “But, I would assume there was more than one if they were planning on subduing three people. And, before you ask, I can’t tell if they were the same men who broke in here.”

Rossi turned to Amanda and Lana. “Did either of you get a good look at the vehicle or it’s occupants?” he asked the women. 

“Sorry, no,” Amanda told him. “I was too busy ‘helping’ Agent Anderson drive.”

“Me neither,” Lena added. “I was too busy just hanging on.”

“I wonder,” Rossi commented. He took out his cell phone and pushed a button. “Hotch,” he spoke into it. “I have an idea.”


	30. Chapter 30

After further discussion with Morgan, Hotch sent him to speak with the technicians who were examining the bomb that had been removed from Rossi’s car. Hopefully, he could get some further information on the origins of the parts that were used. As Morgan headed off, Hotch noticed that he was busy making a call on his cell phone to, Hotch suspected, Lena. 

Hotch was heading back into the conference room where Blake was still interviewing Evelyn when his phone rang. “Hotch,” he answered it. 

“It is I, Goddess of All Things Digital,” Garcia was sounding almost cheerful. “And, I have some answers for you.”

“Maybe I had better come to you,” Hotch suggested.

“I await your arrival, Sir!” Garcia replied. 

As Hotch walked into the office Garcia was using, he glanced around. “Kevin?” he asked.

“He’s still using the computer in the security office,” Garcia explained. “We can speak in here without being overheard.”

Hotch sat down in one of the guest chairs and looked expectantly at the computer tech. 

“First off, Amanda Carlyle,” Garcia began. “As you know, I already did a cursory search on her while we were in Alaska. At that time, I just wanted to check and make sure she wasn’t some gold digger going after Rossi for his fame and fortune. This time I dug deeper and found some additional information.”

“Such as?” Hotch asked. 

“My initial impression was right,” Garcia told him. “She is a really nice person. She was born and raised in Rockville, Wisconsin, where she and her family still live. Actually, they are the largest employer in the area. Have you ever heard of Aunt Millie’s pickles?”

Hotch was taken aback by the question. “Of course,” he replied quickly. “They are a gourmet style pickle that has a limited distribution. Jack loves them and they are only sold in some very upscale - Are you telling me?”

“Yep!” Garcia declared. “That’s Amanda’s family secret. Her grandmother on her father’s side was Aunt Millie!”

“That means she is – “ Hotch was trying to be diplomatic.

“Rich - Affluent – Loaded – Extremely well-off in her own right,” Garcia suggested. “And, adding that to what she inherited from her deceased husband, I can easily see someone marrying her for her money, not blowing her up. Also, there is nothing I can find in her background to suggest she would have any serious enemies. Of course, there probably are people out there who are jealous, and some other narrow-minded individuals who probably don’t approve of her adopting Lena, but other than that – “

“Dissention within the family? Involvement with radical groups or questionable donations?” Hotch felt compelled to ask.

“Nothing that I can find,” Garcia affirmed. “However, I will continue searching.”

“Now, as for Lena,” Garcia continued. “I couldn’t find anything there, either. She appears to have only minimal contact with her birth family, and seems to spend most of her time at college going to classes, studying, and drinking coffee – Lots of coffee, judging from the charges on her debit card. However, again, I will continue looking.”

“Now, moving on to Caryn Walters, aka, Evelyn Summers,” Garcia stopped to catch her breath and make a face. “As much as I hate to say it, I couldn’t find anything derogatory on her either. She was born locally and has always lived in this area. Father died when she was 8, and several years later her mother remarried. Three kids from the second marriage. Her stepfather divorced her mother about three years ago, and it appears that a little over a year ago her mother got really sick. Caryn/Evelyn dropped out of school shortly afterwards. She has apparently been working at a local grocery store ever since. No suspicious activities although – “

“What?” Hotch thought he knew but felt he should ask.

“There was a deposit of $350, made into her bank account about three weeks ago that I can’t trace,” Garcia reported. “I keep running into roadblocks. However, rest assured that I am still hot on the trail.”

“Good work Garcia,” Hotch congratulated the tech. “All that correlates with what Evelyn has already told us. If you could - ”

“I know, continue trying to track the source of the funds,” Garcia broke in. 

“And also,” Hotch was trying to finish his thought.

“Check for problems with Aunt Millie’s Pickles Company,” Garcia suggested. “Hate mail, lawsuits, evil rumors, anything like that. But, you need to realize that because it is a private, family-owned business that may take a while.”

“If that is all, Sir?”

Hotch just shook his head as he walked out the door.


	31. Chapter 31

As Hotch made his way back to the conference room, he encountered JJ and Chief Strauss, both apparently looking for him. His Section Chief did not look happy.

“Hotch!” JJ was obviously glad to see him.

“Agent Hotchner!” Chief Strauss snapped as she stopped in front of him, effectively blocking his way. “You will be happy to know that it appears that the major parts of the listening device your agents destroyed have been retrieved from the drain.”

“That is good news, ma’am,” Hotch told her warily.

“And, they have been turned over to our experts for closer examination,” she continued. “Now, what, if any, progress have your people made?”

“We are making progress,” Hotch assured her. “Mainly, by determining who and what we can eliminate.”

He looked over at JJ. “Agent Jareau,” he said. “Why don’t you check on Kevin and see how he is progressing? And then touch base with Agent Morgan regarding the bomb. See if he has anything new to report.”

“Of course, Sir,” she responded with a grateful look before heading back down the hallway.

Hotch turned back to Strauss. “Perhaps you would like to accompany me to see what Agent Blake has found out from Kevin’s date, Evelyn,” he suggested.

Silently, Strauss turned to follow him.


	32. Chapter 32

When Hotch, followed by Strauss, entered the room where Blake was interviewing Evelyn, he heard Blake asking, “So he never gave you any indication of what he intended to do with the information you had obtained once you had finished your ‘assignment’?”

“No,” Evelyn’s face was tearstained. “I just thought it was some sort of elaborate prank. You know, like you hear about computer geeks and jocks playing on each other. I had no idea it was going to result in the FBI being involved!”

“You had no idea!” Strauss burst out. “You knew where he worked!”

“They just told me The BAU,” Evelyn sobbed. “I didn’t know what that stood for!”

“Why don’t you take a break?” Hotch thought he should take control of the situation. “Evelyn, would you like some more water or anything?”

“A trip to the restroom?” Evelyn suggested, gratefully. 

“And, another box of tissues,” Blake suggested gently.

“In a minute - We’ll be right back,” Hotch gestured for Blake to follow him and Strauss out of the room.

“What did you find out?” he asked as soon as the door to the room closed.

“It seems she was targeted by someone who knew about her family’s financial situation,” Blake began. “She got a call on her cell phone from someone, sounding like a man, who seemed to know all about it. All he told her was that she could make some easy money by getting close to Kevin. As she just said, the way it was presented to her it sounded like an elaborate prank.”

“She never questioned the $700 they were willing to pay her?” Strauss questioned.

“Her family really needs the money,” Blake reminded her. “And, as it was explained to her, all she had to do was get close to Kevin and convince him to bring her to tonight’s party while she was wearing the hairclip. She had no idea what could be involved until we women cornered her in the restroom. Although – “

”What?” Hotch asked.

“During the last conversation she had with ‘Him’, Evelyn expressed some reservations about what she was being asked to do,” Blake reported. “At that point, threats were made against the two youngest children. Apparently, they included a rather graphic description of what would be done to the little girl.”

Blake looked at Hotch. “I believe she is telling the truth,” she told him. “And, now that she knows about the FBI being involved, she is concerned about her family’s safety.”

Hotch pulled out his cell phone. “Well, there is one way to prove her story,” he said. He spoke into the phone. “Garcia, I need you to trace some calls to a cell phone number Blake is going to give you,” he told the tech.


	33. Chapter 33

As Blake was giving Evelyn’s cell phone number to Garcia, there was a bleep indicating an incoming call. Quickly, she terminated her conversation and handed the phone back to Hotch.

Hotch looked at the screen and pushed the answer button. “Dave,” he spoke. “What have you found out? And, before you answer, Chief Strauss is here and I am putting you on speaker.”

“Okay,” Rossi’s voice came over the phone. “It’s not so much what we have discovered as what I have realized.”

“And that is, Agent Rossi?” Strauss asked sharply.

“Anderson told me that he thought he had been followed on his way over to my house,” Rossi told them. “That got me thinking. The same car was behind me for most of the way when I went to the bank yesterday afternoon to pick up the necklace. And, from Anderson’s description, it may be the same one.”

“You were followed?” Hotch questioned.

“That is a possibility,” Rossi confirmed. “I do go to the bank all the time but I can’t think of any reason why someone would have chosen this particular trip to tail me, other than the fact that I was going to pick up the necklace.”

“Before yesterday, when was the last time you went there?” Hotch asked.

“Ten days ago,” Rossi told him. “And –“

“What?” Strauss demanded.

“I went into my safe deposit box that time,” Rossi reported. “I wanted to check on the necklace and make sure it was still all right after all these years.”

“So, if someone was after the jewelry and knew that you were checking on it, they probably could assume you would be going back to pick it up,” Blake surmised.

“Assuming the necklace is what they are after,” Rossi concluded.

“There are just too many loose ends,” Hotch declared. “We need to get everyone together and start compiling information.”

“We need to get everyone in the conference room back at the office,” Strauss declared.

“I’ll start making calls while I take Evelyn to the restroom,” Blake offered as she took out her own cell phone.

“And, Agent Rossi, that includes both you and Dr. Reid,” Strauss spoke into the phone. “I expect to see both of you shortly. And, bring the necklace.”

“I’ll leave Anderson here with Amanda and Lena,” Rossi told her.


	34. Chapter 34

“Now, what about Evelyn?” Blake asked Strauss and Hotch. She had finished escorting Evelyn back to the hotel’s conference room, and had also notified the other team members to meet at the BAU as soon as possible.

“What about her?” Strauss asked.

“We need to question her further,” Hotch began. “Plus, there is a question of whether or not she and her mother and siblings are in danger.”

“She did say that they had been threatened,” Blake reminded Strauss. 

“We still don’t know who recruited her and, without that information, we can’t be sure whether or not she and her family are in danger,” Strauss argued.

“There are three small children involved,” Blake pointed out.

“And, we do have a safe house we can put them in temporarily,” Hotch suggested.

The discussion was interrupted by Hotch’s cell phone ringing. He looked at the screen before answering. “What have you found, Garcia?”

“Only that Caryn/Evelyn/or whoever she is today, is apparently telling the truth,” Garcia reported. “There are calls on her cell phone log, at the times she indicated, from a pre-paid cell phone. I tried tracing the phone, but it is one of several that were purchased at the same time about six months ago from the bookstore at the university. And, when I tried to access the security tapes from the store, they had already been recorded over.”

“Six months ago?” Hotch repeated. “That means that whoever this unsub is, they have been planning this for quite some time.” He looked over at Strauss. “And, an unsub like that is serious about seeing their plan through to the end! Thanks!” He closed his phone.

“Okay!” Strauss gave up. “I’ll get a couple of agents to take Evelyn over to her family’s home to pick everyone up and then get them moved to one of our safe houses. However, you need to remind her that she is still subject to questioning.”

“I’ll stay with her until the agents arrive,” Blake volunteered.


	35. Chapter 35

It was early morning when the team, with the addition of Strauss, began gathering in their conference room. Everyone was in their ‘work clothes’ having changed into outfits from the go bags they kept at their desks. Garcia had grabbed a quick nap on the couch in her office, while JJ had napped on a couch located in her old office. Even Morgan had managed to grab a few minutes of sleep.

Reid, after JJ had convinced him to change his clothes, had continued to work on the markings from the necklace. 

Rossi bustled into the conference room. “Is everyone here yet?” he questioned jovially.

“We are still waiting on Blake,” Hotch told him, holding up his cell phone. “She just texted that Evelyn’s family has been safely moved and that she is on her way in.”

“What took you so long?” Morgan teased the senior agent. “Did you take time to tuck the lovely Amanda in?” He shot an embarrassed glance at Strauss, who was seated at the table next to Hotch.

“Just being a good host,” Rossi replied calmly. “After all, she and Lena are my guests for the weekend.”

“Well, I enjoyed seeing her and Lena again,” Garcia spoke up. “They are both really great people and I like them!”

“Okay, I’m here!” Blake rushed into the room. “What do you have thus far?”

“We were waiting for you,” Hotch told her. 

“And, now that you have arrived, we can get started,” Garcia added.

JJ turned from the evidence board where she had been busily writing. “I think I have everything here,” she told the team. 

“Why don’t you review it for us?” Hotch suggested.

“Okay,” JJ pointed at the beginning of the timeline she had constructed. “Assuming everything is tied into ‘The Necklace’ all of this started ten days ago when Rossi went to the bank to check on it in his safe deposit box.”

“Maybe we should start earlier than that,” Reid looked up from the pictures of the necklace’s leaf that he had been examining. “Rossi, when and where did you actually purchase the necklace?”

“It was a little over 20 years ago,” Rossi recalled. “At a small jewelry store on Washington, down in the Old Town area.” He looked around. “Where is Williams?” he asked. “He was going to put the necklace back into its box and bring it with him. The receipt is in the false bottom of that box.”

Hotch pulled out his cell phone and pushed several button. “Williams,” he spoke into it. “Where are you and the necklace?”

“No, no problem,” Hotch responded to Williams’ comment. “We don’t need the necklace; we need the paperwork in the bottom of the box.”

He listened for a minute. “Yes, I understand. Thanks!”

As he closed his phone, Hotch looked at the team. “Williams took the necklace straight to the lab,” he reported. “Everyone there has been focused on it and no one has gotten to the box yet. He is going to get someone to lift up the velvet liner on the bottom of the box and retrieve the paperwork. They will have to process it for fingerprints and other trace evidence, so we can’t have the originals. However, he promised to take photos and e-mail them to Garcia.”

“I will keep an eye out,” Garcia promised as she checked the alarm on her smart phone.

“Now, Agent Rossi, back to the purchase of the jewelry,” Strauss dictated. “What do you remember about that?”

“It was a small shop,” Rossi was speaking slowly as he remembered. “The owner was – Russian, maybe? Definitely Eastern European. He dealt exclusively in estate jewelry.”

“So, the necklace had a previous owner?” Blake asked.

“Several,” Rossi replied. “I remember its providence was clearly spelled out on the paperwork and, at the time, everything seemed to be in order. I remember I checked it because I didn’t want to be caught purchasing stolen goods.”

“Eastern European?” Reid sounded excited. “Like, the old communist block?”

“Yes, possibly,” Rossi replied. “Does that help?”

“Of course!” Reid exclaimed. “The old KGB had a whole division that specialized in ciphers. Let me try some of theirs!” He went back to studying his pictures.

Garcia’s phone alarm sounded, and she pulled up a file of pictures on the computer. “Okay,” she declared once she had them loaded. “Let me get these on the screen.”

As the first picture filled the flat screen, Rossi gasped. “That’s right,” he declared as he saw a picture of his original sales receipt. “The shop owner’s name was Pavel Mayes and the name of his shop was Ancient Treasures.” 

The second picture showed a bill of sale attached to a deed of sorts. “And,” Rossi continued. “That is the paperwork showing where the necklace came from.”

“Pavel – This is definitely Russian,” Blake observed.

“And Mayes could be an Americanization of his original last name,” Morgan commented.

“And, from what I can see, part of the ownership paperwork is written in Russian,” JJ added.

“Garcia,” Hotch spoke to the tech.

“Already on it,” she was keyboarding furiously. “I’m looking into both the shop and it’s owner. Also, the name(s) of the previous owner(s) of the necklace.”


	36. Chapter 36

“While Garcia is checking on that, let’s continue reviewing what else we know about this unsub,” Hotch suggested. 

“They are using outdated technology,” Morgan began. “What the techs found under Rossi’s car is over 20 years old.”

“But,” JJ spoke up. “That listening device or whatever it was we found in Evelyn’s hair clip was definitely much more recent. Like within the last year or so, maybe?”

“Two distinct signatures?” Hotch pointed out. “Could we actually be dealing with two groups of unsubs?”

“Great!” Rossi moaned. “I can’t have just one group of crazies after me, I have to have two!” He buried his face in his hands as he slowly shook his head.

“Must be your charming personality, Dave,” Strauss commented dryly. She looked at her cell phone as it beeped. “Now, I have to go brief the Director. I expect to be kept informed of your progress.” She glared at everyone as she got up to leave.

“Of course, Ma’am,” Hotch assured her.

Everyone drew a deep breath as the door closed behind Section Chief Erin Strauss. 

“Okay,” Blake resumed the discussion. “Assuming there are two separate unsubs or groups of unsubs involved, what can we tell about each of them?”

“Well, one group, Group A if you will, probably dates back to before the fall of the Berlin Wall,” Morgan observed. “The technology they used on the bomb under Rossi’s car definitely indicates that.”

“Speaking of my car - ,” Rossi fixed Morgan with a look.

“It’s all good, Man,” Morgan assured him. “It’s safely under lock and key - At the evidence garage.”

“Where they are probably busy dismantling it looking for more evidence,” Reid contributed cheerfully.

Rossi moaned and again covered his face with his hands.

“They are probably linked to the jeweler,” JJ contributed. “The time frame fits.”

“And, that’s my cue!” Garcia declared as an old driver’s license picture appeared on the flat screen.

“Meet the late Pavel Mayes,” Garcia announced as she read off the computer screen. “Birth name Pavel Moskowski. He was born in Peredelkino, that’s a suburb of Moscow, in 1945. Managed to escape the Communist Regime in 1968 and immigrated to the U.S. All legal and aboveboard. Opened his shop in 1972 and ran it until - ”

She paused and squinted at her screen. “Until he went missing in – 1992 (??)”

“He disappeared?” Hotch asked.

“Apparently,” Garcia told him. “Shortly after this picture was taken, almost 21 years ago, his son filed a missing person’s report. From what I can tell from this, he was never found.”

“What about the business?” Morgan asked. “I am sure there was stock in the store that needed to be handled.”

“Let me check business licenses,” Garcia told him as she keyboarded.

As the team waited on Garcia, there was another bleep on her computer and she put a new picture on the flat screen. This one appeared to show a thick piece of cellophane with crinkles on it. 

“That is?” JJ asked.

Rossi squinted at it. “It appears to be an enlargement of a - microdot?” he guessed. “Although – “

“Does anyone still use those?” Blake questioned. 

“That must be what Williams and his team dislodged from that other leaf of the necklace,” Morgan guessed.

As they stared intently at the latest picture, Hotch’s phone rang. “Yes, Williams,” he answered it.

“Yes, we just got it. Yes, that’s what we thought. Can you still read it after all this time? Okay. Keep me updated.” Hotch closed his phone and looked at the team.

“That was Williams,” he explained. “That is indeed a microdot that his team dislodged from the necklace. Fortunately, due to conditions in the room where the safe deposit boxes are, it is in almost pristine condition.”

“For what I am paying that bank, it should be in pristine condition!” Rossi declared. 

“Have they been able to read the film?” Reid asked. “Because, if they have, that might give me a clue to what I am looking at.”

“They are working on it,” Hotch reported, as his phone rang yet again.

“Agent Hotchner,” he answered after glancing at the screen. “Yes, Ma’am. Ma’am, I would like to point out - . Ma’am - ,” he was starting to sound agitated. “Yes, I understand. Of course.” Hotch snapped his phone shut and sat glaring at as it lay on the table.

“Strauss?” JJ finally questioned.

“A problem?” Blake guessed.

“Yes, and it is not good,” Hotch informed the team. “It seems we are being taken off the case.”

“Taken off!” Morgan exploded. “Man, it was Rossi here they were trying to blow up!!!”

“That’s part of it,” Hotch explained. “The Director thinks we may be too involved. And, it also appears there is a jurisdictional dispute going on.”

“Jurisdiction?” Blake questioned. “Between us and whom?” 

“Homeland Security and the CIA,” Hotch reported. “It appears they both heard about the bomb, and about the possibility of KGB agents, and they both stepped in.”

“So, we are out?” Morgan demanded.

“What the - ?” Garcia exploded as the flat screen suddenly flickered and went blank.

“And, Garcia is to get out of any government files she may be in, and she is also to delete any files she may have copied,” Hotch concluded.

“Well, I may have been locked out,” Garcia began. “But, they forgot one thing.” She smiled conspiratorially at Reid.

“I’ll start writing down everything I saw,” Reid flipped to a clean page in the tablet he was using.

“So, what do we do now?” Morgan demanded. “Just go home and forget about it?”

“We can’t just drop this!” Garcia protested. “It’s Rossi they’re after!”

“How can we continue if we’re locked out of the investigation?” Blake questioned.

“We do have Reid’s notes,” JJ pointed out. “As well as all the other information we have managed to gather.”

“Well, I don’t know about everyone else,” Hotch casually stood up and stretched. “But, I am going to pick up Jack, and then we are going to our favorite pancake house for breakfast. Now, if anyone else just happens to be there, and we just happen to begin reviewing tonight’s occurrences – “

Rossi smiled as he took out his cell phone. “Better than that,” he told them. “I just decided to hold an informal Sunday brunch at my place to celebrate – Well, whatever it is we can think of that is worth celebrating.”

He smiled as a woman’s voice answered his call. “Amanda, My Dear?” he said. “Put the coffee on. We are about to have some guests.”


	37. Chapter 37

Blake offered to drive Rossi home and, at Amanda’s suggestion, they stopped along the way to pick up several trays of pastries as well as an assortment of flavored pancake syrups. By the time they joined the rest of the team at Rossi’s house, Amanda and Lena not only had the coffee ready but had also been busy cooking. 

After they had been cleared by the new agent guarding the front door, (“This is my house, you idiot!” Rossi had snarled) Rossi led the way to the kitchen. Blake sniffed the air appreciatively. 

“I didn’t realize how hungry I am,” she commented. “Dare I ask what is on the menu?”

“In addition to the pastries you just brought in, we are making oven baked pancakes,” Lena told her as she took the trays from Rossi. “The first pan should be just about ready to come out of the oven.” Blake noticed with amusement that Morgan hurried over to help Lena with the wrapped trays.

“Anderson?” Rossi noticed that the agent was still there. “Haven’t you been relieved of duty?”

“Kind of,” Anderson told him. “As you might have noticed when you came in, Agent Bedford is now on duty. Apparently, because it was your car that was involved, The Director feels it is expedient to continue maintaining security here. The two of us will be relieving each other.”

“And, after Agent Anderson has finished eating breakfast with us, he is going upstairs to get some sleep,” Amanda spoke up as she came into the kitchen from the sunroom. “I’ve put him in one of the guest rooms.”

“Good Morning, Dave,” she greeted him with a smile.

Rossi wasted no time crossing the room and soundly kissing Amanda in a way that left no question as to their relationship. “Good Morning Yourself,” he replied with a grin.

“If you think this is bad,” Lena told the room at large. “You should see them when they think they are alone!”

Amanda broke free from Rossi’s embrace and smiled at the team. “Okay, everyone,” she announced. “One pan of pancakes is coming out of the oven, and I have the sunroom set up for you to use. No Dave!” she admonished as she batted his hand away.

“Yeah, Dave!” Morgan interjected. “Cool it! We need to figure out what is going on here before you get your ‘thang’ on.”

“What’s a ‘thang’?” Reid asked, puzzled.

“Why don’t you get some coffee to go with your sugar?” JJ suggested kindly as she propelled him towards the coffee pot. “And, then, I am sure Lena can help you fix your pancake.”

“I’ll be glad to give you a hand with that,” Amanda offered with a smile at the young agent. “Why don’t you tell me what you like on your pancakes and I’ll take it from there.”

“What do we know about Bedford?” Hotch asked suspiciously. “I haven’t seen him before.”

“Don’t worry,” Morgan spoke up. “He was in my hand-to-hand combat class and he did great - I trust him!”

“Well, I don’t know about the rest of you,” Blake spoke up. “But, I am hungry!”


	38. Chapter 38

A short time later, everyone was sitting in Rossi’s sunroom eating breakfast and discussing the case. Anderson, Reid, and Rossi had all surreptitiously checked out the room and noticed that the remains of the two wicker chairs had disappeared. They assumed that Amanda was responsible for removing them.

“As soon as I am done here, I am getting back on-line to continue my research,” Garcia was finishing her second cup of tea. 

“Do you have everything you need?” Rossi asked. “You can use my desk computer, too,” he added. 

“That will help,” Garcia told him. “If I can run both my laptop and your computer it will speed things up. And,” she looked at Reid. “Someone was going to make me written copies of the files that I have been restricted from.”

“Right. I did that on the way over here,” Reid told her. “They are in my messenger bag.” He started to stand up but was stopped by Garcia. 

“Finish getting your morning caffeine fix,” she told him. “I know you’re no good without it. It’s going to be a few minutes before I am ready to start.”

“One thing has been bothering me,” Amanda told the team. “Maybe it is just me, but how did whoever this is know that Dave had been to the bank, and that he would be returning? It just seems weird. I mean, I didn’t even know about the necklace until last evening when he got it out and suggest that I wear it.”

“Another part of the puzzle that needs to be solved,” JJ agreed. 

“Someone at the bank would have seen him come and go,” Morgan pointed out. 

“Okay, that’s one of the places I’ll start looking,” Garcia announced as she stood up. “I’ll check all bank employees and see if any of them have any connection to the jeweler.”

She looked pointedly at Reid. “Oh, right,” he told her. “Let me get my messenger bag and I’ll be right with you.”


	39. Chapter 39

As the team discussed several other avenues to explore, Rossi’s cell phone rang. He checked the screen before answering. “Agent Bedford?” he questioned. “Who?” was his next question. “Yeah, okay, send him back.”

Closing up his phone Rossi told everyone. “It appears Kevin just showed up at the front door and says he has some information. Bedford is sending him back.”

Kevin hesitated in the doorway and looked around the room. “It’s okay, Man,” Morgan told him. “She’s in Rossi’s study.”

“It’s not that I’m afraid,” Kevin explained. “It’s just that – “

“We understand,” Rossi reassured him. “We’ve all been in ‘unfortunate situations’.”

“You said you have some information,” Hotch reminded him.

“Come in and sit down,” Amanda invited. “We aren’t going to bite you.”

“Okay,” Kevin walked into the sunroom and gingerly sat down. “I just came from the safe house where Caryn – Evelyn – and her family are,” he told the team. And, I had a long talk with – Evelyn.”

“What did she tell you?” JJ asked.

“First off,” Kevin began. “She is really, really sorry about everything. She had no idea that this involved national security and the FBI. She just thought it was a geek-type prank. And, when she did get suspicious and ask questions, the guy threatened her family.”

“We understand that,” Blake said. “However?”

“She gave me the names of several people at her brothers’ and sister’s school who asked her several times how she was doing,” Kevin reported. “And, some of the office staff there did ask specifically about finances. She also remembered the names of several people at the hospital who she spoke with.”

“Did you write them down?” Hotch asked. “If so, we need to get them to Garcia, so she can start checking them out.”

“If it’s okay, Sir, I would like to help with that,” Kevin volunteered. “I have my laptop with me. And, seeing as how I’m the one who brought her to the party, I feel responsible for this mess.”

“If it makes you feel better, this situation began long before you met Evelyn,” JJ told him.

“And, as for your helping, well, that’s up to Garcia,” Hotch replied.


	40. Chapter 40

Kevin’s appearance in Rossi’s study led to a loud and noisy confrontation, which was resolved when Hotch assigned Kevin to research Evelyn’s list of possible blackmailers on his laptop, while Garcia checked out the bank employees, the jewelry store ownership, and all relevant government files she could manage to get into using her laptop and Rossi’s desktop computer.

The two techs had just settled down to work when Lena joined them. “Mom sent me,” she explained. “I’m supposed to ask Kevin if he has had any breakfast and if he’s hungry.”

Kevin looked up, startled. “No, not really,” he replied. “That is – I really haven’t had anything to eat since last night.”

“Okay,” Lena exchanged looks with Garcia. “What would you like?”

“Crow!” Garcia suggested with a glare at the other tech.

“Now, that’s not fair!” Kevin protested. “When we broke up we agreed – “

“Talk about that later, Penelope,” Lena interrupted. “After this has all been cleared up. Right now, I’m going to get some pancake and heat it up for Kevin, along with a sweet roll. And, how do you take your coffee?”

“More cream than coffee?” Kevin requested timidly.

“Good,” Lena turned to go and ran into Hotch.

“Whoops!” she gasped.

“My fault,” Hotch told her as he maneuvered around her. “I need to talk to Kevin for a minute.”

“Okay?” Kevin was hesitant.

“Did you ever find anything on the license plate that was on the white van in the parking lot?” Hotch asked.

“Ah – kind of,” Kevin began pushing keys on his computer. Squinting at the screen he continued. “This came through just as we were being taken off the case and I managed to save it. It appears that one variation on the plate number was assigned to a van that was sent to be crushed about three weeks ago. That’s the only one that stood out.”

“Well, that would explain how they got the plate,” Hotch agreed. “Send the name and address of the metal recycling center to Morgan’s phone, along with the name of the center’s owner. You should probably get him a description of the original van, too. I’ll get him to check everything out.”

“Now!” he fixed both computer techs with his infamous glare. “I don’t care about your personal issues. You need to work them out on your own time. Right now, I just need each of you to do your assigned work and help us figure out what is going on. Understood?”

“Yes, Sir,” Garcia and Kevin chorused.


	41. Chapter 41

“Okay, what do we have thus far?” When Hotch returned to the sunroom, he found that Blake had taken over monitoring the discussion while JJ wrote on a whiteboard that had mysteriously appeared. He also noticed that Anderson had disappeared. He assumed that the overworked agent had gone upstairs to get some well-deserved sleep.

“There are definitely two groups,” JJ began. “One fairly new, using the latest technology, and one old-school using technology left over from the cold war.”

“Not quite that old!” Rossi protested. “But, still – older.”

“Guys!” Reid appeared in the doorway. “I think I have this figured out. And, boy do I feel dumb!”

“There is a first time for everything!” Morgan observed, smiling at Reid.

“What did you figure out?” Hotch asked.

“It is in Russian! Not only the code but also the cipher,” Reid exclaimed. “I not only needed to break the code, but I also needed to translate it. Plus, it needed to be read from right to left – That was the part the eluded me!”

“Okay – What did you find?” Rossi asked.

“It appears to be a list of names,” Reid began. “And, with the order they are listed in, it makes me wonder if it a hierarchy of sorts.”

“Hierarchy?” Blake asked. “Like the highest ranking person is on top?”

“Not that type of hierarchy,” Reid began. He held out a sheet of paper with his handwriting on it. “I think this is a list showing who to contact if someone needs help getting off the grid or out of the country or something like that.”

“Are there any names we might recognize?” JJ had walked over and was trying to read over his shoulder.

“One in particular stands out,” Reid announced. “Pavel Moskowski – Also known as Pavel Mayes. 

“Rossi’s jeweler?” Hotch asked.

“Oh, Yes, Most Certainly!” Garcia hustled into the room carrying her laptop. “And, what our favorite genius found meshes with what I have discovered!”


	42. Chapter 42

“And, that is?” Hotch asked.

“To start with, we have a family tree!” Garcia announced. “The Patriarch, so to speak, is Pavel Mayes. His son Anatoly, also known as Anthony, and, his grandson Ivan, also known as John.”

“I would guess that Anthony is the one who reported Pavel missing?” Morgan asked.

“Right you are!” Garcia reported. “And, when I checked further, this is what I found.” She turned her laptop around so everyone could see the three pictures she had on her screen.

“We have here pictures of Pavel Mayes, the missing grandfather, Anthony Mayes, the son who reported him missing (and the current owner of record of Rare Treasures), and his son, John Mayes.”

Rossi leaned closer to the screen and stared. “You say that Pavel owned the shop when I purchased the necklace?” he questioned.

“Yes,” Garcia replied. “The business license shows him as the shop owner at that time.”

“What is it, Dave?” Hotch questioned.

“Earlier, I didn’t think I remembered seeing that man,” Rossi replied as he reached over and pointed to Anthony Mayes’ picture. “Now, even after all this time, I will swear that I purchased the necklace from this man. He was much younger then, but I am certain it was him.”

“Well, there is one way to find out,” Garcia turned to Reid. “Do you remember who signed Rossi’s receipt? Whoops - Sorry!” she caught herself. “Who do you remember as having signed the receipt?”

Reid closed his eyes and concentrated. “The signature was a little hard to read on the screen,” he began. “But I am sure the first initial was an ‘A’, not a ‘P’.”

”All right,” Blake said. “So, maybe he was working in his father’s shop that day.”

“And, maybe, he sold the necklace to the wrong person,” Morgan suggested. “You said one of the pieces of paper showed who the shop purchased the necklace from?”

“Reid?” Hotch looked over at him.

“That was on the second piece of paper,” Reid confirmed. “I couldn’t see the whole list, but the name on top was Yuri Lubenski.”

“Garcia?” JJ asked.

“That name was also on another list I encountered,” Garcia told the group.

“That was a list of - ?” Rossi was almost afraid to ask.

“Individuals the government was keeping an eye on twenty years ago,” Garcia supplied. “And, from what I could – uncover – it appears that the jewelry store you patronized was also under surveillance at that time.”

“A Russian spy ring?” Blake questioned.

“Could be the Russian mob,” Morgan suggested, glancing down at his phone as it buzzed.

“Okay,” Hotch began assigning responsibilities. “Morgan, Kevin sent a name and address to your phone. That is the metal reclamation center where the stolen plates on the van that sabotaged Dave’s car came from. He should also have sent you a description of the original vehicle.”

“I’m on it,” Morgan stood up and looked at the screen again. “This name sounds Russian, too.”

“It probably is,” Hotch commented. “Why don’t you take Blake with you? Talk to some people and see what the two of you can pick up on.”

“Let’s go,” Blake stood up and joined Morgan as he headed towards the door.

However, before they reached the door, Morgan suddenly stopped and turned back towards the room. “Hotch, I assume you’re sending Rossi out too?” he asked.

“I was planning on it,” Hotch replied.

“What about Agent Bedford?” JJ remembered. “He’s still stationed at the front door, isn’t he?”

“And, I suspect his instructions are to make sure Rossi doesn’t leave here,” Reid added.

“Actually, I think they are to make sure Dave is safe,” Amanda spoke up. “I don’t think leaving was specifically included in his instructions.”

“Okay, what do we do?” Blake asked as she noticed that Amanda was starting to smile.

“Well,” Amanda was thinking hard. “What is the penalty for lying to a federal agent?”

“That would depend on the circumstances,” Hotch was starting to like her idea.

“And, I would assume, on whether she had a good lawyer,” Amanda was grinning widely.

“I can assure you, she will have a very good lawyer,” Hotch replied with an answering grin.

“Well then, Dave, it appears you won’t have to practice baking a cake with a file in it,” Amanda teased as Rossi put his arm around her shoulders and leaned over to kiss her.

“All right then, Hotch. What’s next?” Morgan asked.

“Rossi,” Hotch continued with the assignments. “You may want to see if Garcia can locate any kind of a Russian social club. We need to discretely track down and talk to people who know the Mayes family. See what they have to say about them.”

“The Russian Orthodox Church!” Reid exclaimed. “I know where the one in The District is located.”

Rossi looked at him in amazement. “Is there anything you don’t know?” he asked sarcastically.

“Probably, but I’m working on it,” Reid replied absent-mindedly as he reached to pick up his bag. “I assume I’m going with you?”

“Well, we have gone down this road together before,” Rossi remembered. “At least this time we won’t have to walk miles through the woods to get there.”

“Hotch?” JJ looked at their supervisor questioningly.

“You and I are going to visit the location of the original jewelry store,” Hotch told her. “I just want to see for myself if it looks like a front for a Russian spy ring.”

“Address?” JJ questioned, looking at her cell phone.

“Sending it even as we speak!” Garcia assured her.

After a brief consultation, and a ‘Good Luck’ kiss between Morgan and Lena, Hotch led the way as he, Morgan, JJ, Blake, and Reid left the house through the front door. They each conscientiously took the time to bid Agent Bedford ‘Good-by’ as they walked past him. He didn’t have time to wonder why they took all three vehicles from the front drive, as Amanda and Lena followed immediately behind them asking whether he would like something to eat or drink.

As Bedford discussed possible choices for his meal with the women, Rossi quietly left through the sunroom’s outside door and headed off across the back yard.

Ten minutes later, the team had arrived at their prearranged rendezvous location, where they quickly regrouped, and then headed off to their various destinations.


	43. Chapter 43

Following Reid’s turn-by-turn directions, Rossi quickly located the Russian Orthodox Church. After parking in the crowded lot (“It is Sunday,” Reid reminded him) they got out of their vehicle and stood back to take a long look at the church.

“Looks like a far more elaborate church than Father Michael’s in Alaska,” Rossi observed.

“However, we will probably find similar icons and elaborate alter doors in the interior,” Reid informed him. “They are both an integral part of their set of beliefs. In Russian churches, the nave is typically separated from the sanctuary by an icon-screen, called an iconostasis, which is a wall of icons with double doors in the centre - ”

“Okay, Reid, Okay,” Rossi interrupted him. “I’ve seen one, remember?”

“Shall we?” he asked as he led the way towards the main doors of the church.

Once inside, the two agents found themselves standing in the midst of a crowd of congregants. Some were standing, listening to the priest who was speaking from the alter, while others were moving around between the various icons.

“What?” Rossi looked around trying to locate someone who could answer their questions.

“Gentlemen,” an older man dressed in black with a full beard approached them. “May I help you?”

“Agent David Rossi, FBI,” Rossi discretely displayed his credentials.

“Dr. Reid,” Reid quietly showed his, too.

“Father Nikoli,” the man introduced himself. “Is there something I can help you gentlemen with?”

“We need to talk with you about a family who may be among your parishioners,” Rossi told him.

“You do know that I can’t give out information on members of my congregation?” Father Nikoli asked.

“We don’t need to know anything that might be covered by the confessional,” Reid hastily assured him.

“It’s just that a number of years ago I purchased an item from one of them and it seems to be causing a problem,” Rossi explained.

The priest gave him a penetrating look. “This was how long ago?” he asked.

“Maybe twenty years,” Rossi told him.

“And this item - was it gold?” the priest persisted.

“Yes,” Rossi admitted.

“Maybe we had better go into my study to talk,” the priest glanced around at the crowded church. “We can be more private in there.”


	44. Chapter 44

Morgan and Blake sat in Morgan’s pick-up, staring at the metal reclamation center across the street. “Well, I don’t expect we will have anyone to talk to here on a Sunday,” Blake commented.

“Don’t be so sure,” Morgan told her. “This type of person doesn’t take time off. I suspect this place is always open for business – legal or otherwise.”

“So, we just sit here and wait?” Blake questioned.

“No,” Morgan replied. “We sit here and see what that guy over there is going to do.” He nodded towards an old, beat-up pick-up truck slowly making its way down the street towards them.

As the agents watched, the truck pulled up to the gate of the salvage yard and stopped. A man got out of the passenger’s side door, unlocked and opened the gate, and got back into the truck. The truck then drove into the yard and parked, leaving the gate standing open behind it. Two scruffy-looking men climbed out of the vehicle, unlocked the door of the office building, and went inside.

“What now?” Blake wondered.

“It looks to me like they are expecting someone,” Morgan replied. “Let’s just wait some more.”

A short time later, a black, chauffer-driven Town Car drove down the street and carefully pulled into the salvage yard. The agents exchanged a look and began getting out of their vehicle.

“How about we do some incidental eaves dropping?” Blake suggested.

“If we are just strolling by looking for some recycled auto parts no one can blame us if we just happen to hear something,” Morgan agreed as they walked across the street and through the open gate.


	45. Chapter 45

“This is the address Garcia sent me.” JJ checked her phone as Hotch parked on the street in front of the building. The retail space they were interested in was located in the middle of a block long building containing a number of various sized stores. Many of them were empty, and the few that were occupied contained businesses that apparently were closed on Sunday.

As they got out of the SUV, both agents glanced around, surveying the area. “You could see what is going on over here from the second story apartments across the street,” Hotch nodded in that direction.

“And, I don’t know what this street was like 20 years ago, but there doesn’t seem to be a lot of traffic on it now,” JJ observed. “Anyone loitering in the area would definitely stand out.”

Hotch walked over and looked through the dirty window into the empty shop space. “It doesn’t look like it has been a jewelry store for quite some time,” he reported. “It looks like it most recently was a dollar discount store.”

“At one time, there used to be quite a security system here.” JJ pointed to numerous wires running around the perimeter of the front window. 

Hotch examined the doorframe. “It was here, too,” he added. 

JJ turned and looked around. “Where is Rossi’s bank from here?”

“About three blocks that way,” Hotch pointed up the street. 

“Well, assuming Rossi has been using the same bank for a number of years, that would explain how he found this place,” JJ observed. “He just passed by it enough times that he finally decided to stop in.”

“And, it would appear, that that is when the problem started,” Hotch concluded.

“Want to look around back?” JJ asked, looking towards the side street.

“May as well,” Hotch replied as his cell phone rang.

“Garcia?” he answered. “Okay, that helps,” he told the tech. “You’re sending the information to JJ?”

JJ’s phone buzzed, signaling an arriving text.

“Okay, she’s got it,” Hotch told Garcia. “Thanks!”

JJ was reading from her screen. “Apparently Ancient Treasures is still in business,” she reported. “And, according to the information Garcia just sent me, it’s new location isn’t too far from here.”

“Let’s see what we can find,” Hotch led the way back to the SUV.


	46. Chapter 46

“You must understand,” Father Nikoli began after the three men were seated in his office. “I can’t violate any confidences I may have received from members of my congregation.”

“We wouldn’t dream of asking you to,” Rossi assured him. “We just need to locate the descendants of Pavil Mayes. I assume he was a member of your congregation?”

Father Nikoli gave the agents a thoughtful look. “I have only been here for the past twelve years,” he told them. “However, from what I understand, Mr. Mayes was the father of Anthony Mayes and the grandfather of Ivan, or John, Mayes. If I remember what I heard correctly, he went missing about twenty years ago and was never found.”

“That is what we understand,” Rossi agreed. “However, before he disappeared, I purchased an item from his jewelry store. Due to several incidents over the past few days, I now have some questions concerning it.”

“Well, I may have heard something,” the priest spoke slowly. “However, it was very vague and possibly unreliable.”

“Would it concern some very old information?” Reid ventured a guess. “Something that, if it became public, would damage people’s reputations and lives?”

“Very old and concerning an item purchased from the original store,” the priest confirmed. “You will undoubtedly need to follow-up with the persons involved. I do hope you understand that whatever happened in the past, is in the past. The persons involved now have new lives and no desire to return to the old.”

“We understand that and will respect it,” Reid assured the priest.

“Where would we find such individuals?” Rossi questioned.

“There is a gathering place,” Father Nikoli told the agents. “It’s called The Dancing Bear and it’s not far from here.” 

He checked his watch. “And, at this hour on a Sunday morning, it should be open. If the parties you need to speak with aren’t there yet, they should be arriving shortly.”

“I know that place. It’s just around the corner from here,” Reid spoke up. 

“Thank you, Father,” Rossi stood up and shook the priest’s hand. 

“I hope you find what you are looking for, my son,” the man replied. 

Father Nikoli hesitated a moment and looked shrewdly at the agent. “And, that includes in your personal life, too,” he added.

Rossi looked at him in surprise. “Do you know a Father Michael from Gullwing Island, Alaska?” he asked.

“Can’t say that I do,” the priest replied. “Why?”

“Because he also gave me some very good advice.”


	47. Chapter 47

Morgan and Blake strolled casually through the gate and into the metal reclamation center. 

As they stopped to survey the piles of scrap metal, Blake spoke up. “Cover story?” she asked.

“We are looking for parts for a 2001 cargo van,” Morgan immediately supplied. “Specifically, we are looking for a – “

“Morgan!” Blake called out. “Let’s not make this too involved.”

“I’m starting to sound like Reid?” Morgan guessed with a chuckle.

“Besides which, I don’t think we really need to go into the details,” Blake suggested. “Somehow, I get the feeling that the man looking at us through the window over there isn’t going to be all that interested in verifying our story.”

Morgan glanced over at the office building. “Well, judging from the look on his face, I would have to agree with you,” he commented as the agents heard a door slam.

“May I help you?” the voice had a slight accent. Eastern European, probably Russian, was Blake’s first thought.

“We’re looking for parts for a cargo van,” Morgan began. “And we noticed that your gate is open.”

“Sorry. We are not open today,” the man replied. “Maybe you can come back tomorrow?”

“We are going to be busy on the other side of the city tomorrow,” Blake smiled at him. “Are you sure we can’t just look around now?”

“Unfortunately, no,” was the reply. “And, I am going to have to ask you to leave.”

“All right, Man,” Morgan held his hands up as if in surrender. “Guess we will have to come back some other time. It’s just that we heard that a dark blue 2001 cargo van was brought in here a while back, and it sounded like a good source for the parts we need.”

As the two agents began slowly walking back towards the gate, the door to the office building opened again and a tall, gaunt looking man emerged. Looking over his shoulder, he spoke to whoever was still in the building.

“Remember, we need to get it as quickly as possible,” he said. “And, I mean now! I am sick of hearing your excuses!”

A second man stepped out of the waiting car and walked around to the rear passenger door, all the while surveying the surrounding area. As the tall man reached the car, the driver quickly opened the rear door and waited for his passenger to get in. After closing the car door, he immediately ran around the front of the vehicle, climbed back into the driver’s seat, and the car pulled out the gate.

“Now!” Morgan and Blake’s escort insisted. “You need to leave now!”

Quickly the agents left the yard and climbed into their vehicle. “License plate number?” Blake asked as she pulled out her cell phone.

“Texting it even as we speak,” Morgan replied as he manipulated his phone.

“Garcia,” Blake spoke into her phone. “I have a description of a man, probably Russian, that I need you to see if you can match to someone on your list. And, Morgan is sending you a license plate number we need you to check out.”

“What about the man we spoke with?” Morgan asked as they waited for Garcia’s results.

“Most likely born in this country or came as a baby,” was Blake’s analysis. “He’s definitely imitating that accent, possibly from his parents.”


	48. Chapter 48

After Rossi and Reid had left Father Nikoli’s church, they casually strolled down the street and then stopped at the corner to survey the neighborhood.

“It looks like a lot of Russian emigrants have settled in this part of town,” Rossi observed, reading the names of the local businesses.

“The center of the local Russian population has shifted in this direction during the past ten years or so,” Reid informed him. “Before that, it was located closer to the Old Town area.”

“Where the jewelry store that I bought the necklace from was located,” Rossi observed.

He gestured towards a door half way down the side street that was standing open. “Shall we?”

As the two agents approached the open door, they heard the sound of balalaika music. Rossi smiled. “I definitely remember that sound,” he commented. “They were playing it in the store when I was there.”

“Do you know that the earliest mention of the term balalaika dates back to a 1688 Russian document?” Reid told him. “And, the term ‘balabaika’ was widely used in Ukrainian language documents from 1717 to 1732. According to one theory, the term was loaned to Russian, where – in literary language – it first appeared in "Elysei", a 1771 poem by V. Maikov.” He paused to catch his breath.

“Thank you, Maestro,” Rossi smiled at Reid as he led the way through the doorway and into The Dancing Bear. 

The darkened room the agents walked into was filled with small tables and large men, with very few women present. There was a bar on their right, with a door at the far end, which appeared to lead into a kitchen. Russian music and the spoken language filled the air.

The agents walked several steps into the room, and Rossi casually leaned against the bar and surveyed the room.

“What can I get you gentlemen?” the question was asked in English.

Rossi was intently studying the room, so Reid took it upon himself to reply. “Um – m – m vodka?” he guessed. 

“And, have your waitress, Lauren, the one with the short brown hair who just went into the kitchen, bring it to the table over there,” Rossi interrupted, pointing at a table at the far end of the room.

Reid looked at him in surprise.

“Listen, mister, I don’t tolerate any funny stuff here,” the bartender threatened. “My waitress are just that – waitresses!”

“That’s fine with me, Sam,” Rossi told him as he discretely showed his FBI credentials. “Just keep it quiet.”

The bartender retreated down the bar and began pouring the drinks while Rossi led the way across the room.

“You know her?” Reid asked after they had taken their seats.

“Oh yes!” Rossi growled. “I know her!”


	49. Chapter 49

As Hotch maneuvered the SUV around the corner into what appeared to be a neighborhood of shops, JJ took a quick look around. 

“Parking – Over there,” she directed Hotch to a small lot located between two of the buildings. 

As they got out of the vehicle, they heard music. “Sounds Russian to me,” JJ commented. “Reid could probably tell us exactly what it is.”

“Along with the composer and the year it was composed,” Hotch chuckled. 

“Shall we take a walk?” JJ led the way out onto the street and turned right.

“According to the street numbers, Ancient Treasures should be fairly close,” Hotch was checking the numbers on the buildings as they walked past.

“And, here we are,” JJ stopped in front of a shop.

“Closed,” Hotch observed. “Of course, it is Sunday and in this neighborhood I don’t think they would have a lot of business today.”

“Nice security system,” JJ observed discrete lights flashing on the inside of the store.

“Looks pretty elaborate,” Hotch agreed. “I would guess there are also some rather sensitive motion detectors inside there.”

JJ turned around and looked across the street. “The Dancing Bear,” she read the sign on the window. “Looks like the place I would pick to hang out at if I wanted to keep an eye on what was going on over here.”

“Then, maybe we should hang out there, too,” Hotch suggested as he led the way across the street.


	50. Chapter 50

“Mr. Rossi?” the voice was soft and uncertain as the young woman placed glasses of vodka in front of Rossi and Reid.

“Hello Lauren,” Rossi replied. He pulled out an empty chair at their table. “Why don’t you sit down and join us?”

“I’m sorry, but my boss doesn’t allow us to mix with the customers during working hours,” was the reply.

“Sam won’t mind,” Rossi told her sternly. “I already made arrangements with him for you to join us.”

“Okay, Lauren,” he had waited until she had sat down. “Who did you tell?”

The young woman blushed. “Here my name is Larissa or Lara,” she told the agents. “And, I just let someone know –“

“WHO?” Rossi demanded.

Lara looked nervously towards the middle of the room and then back at the agents. “I really can’t say,” she told them.

“Aha!” Rossi commented. “Maybe you won’t say or you can’t say, but you just told us who they are, as well as the fact that they are here.”

“What did you tell them?” Rossi pursued the issue.

“Just that you were at the bank and had gone into your safety deposit box,” Lara looked scared.

“Thank you,” Rossi concluded the conversation by putting two $20 bills on her tray. “Keep the change.”

“There is one other thing,” Lara added hesitantly as she stood up. “I don’t think I was the only one.”

“Who else?” Reid asked, glancing at Rossi.

“Her name is Yulia,” Lara said. “She works as a teller at the bank, and I’m fairly certain she also called someone both times when you came in. And, I’m sure it wasn’t the same person I called.”

“Thanks, Lara,” Rossi’s voice was considerable softer. “And, don’t worry. We won’t involve you in any of this.”

“I’m really sorry,” Lara spoke quietly. “But, you need to understand, my family escaped the Communist regime and came to this country along with their family.” She scurried back to the bar area and disappeared into the kitchen.

“Now what?” Reid asked.

“You can call Garcia and see what she has discovered about the bank’s employees,” Rossi suggested as he stood up and looked across the room.

“And you?” Reid questioned.

“I always think the most direct way is the best.” Rossi told him. “And, now that I have a better view, I think I recognize someone from the past.”


	51. Chapter 51

“What do you have for me, Baby Girl?” Morgan asked impatiently over the phone.

“I’m running that license plate number as fast as I can,” Garcia assured him. “And, the winner is – Oh No!”

“What?” Blake asked.

“This name – It’s showed up several other places,” Garcia spoke hurriedly. 

“What’s the name?” Morgan demanded.

“That Town Car is registered to a Boris Antipov,” Garcia told him. “And, not coincidentally, that name also appears on a list of suspected Russian mobsters maintained by The Organized Crime Unit. And, his name also appears on the list that Reid discovered on the necklace.”

“Oh Boy!” Blake breathed. “It seems we are knocking at the door of a regular hornet’s nest.” 

“Do you have a picture and an address for him?” Morgan asked.

“Sending both to your phone,” Garcia replied. 

As Morgan and Blake examined the picture Garcia had sent, there was knock on the window of the truck. Looking up, they saw a familiar face.

“Agent Perkins,” Morgan put his window down and greeted the man. “How are things at Homeland Security these days?”

“They would be much better if you people weren’t always interfering with our surveillance,” the agent replied.

“Good to see you, too,” Blake smiled at the man.

“I’m going to have to ask you to move,” Agent Perkins continued. “We are trying not to call attention to ourselves.”

“Well, you’re not doing a very good job of it, standing in the middle of the street like this,” Blake pointed out. “Besides, these people are probably well aware of your surveillance activities.”

“What we do isn’t any of your business,” Agent Perkins told them seriously. “Now Move!”

“Okay, Okay! We’re going!” Morgan put the truck into gear and pulled away.


	52. Chapter 52

After Hotch and JJ had walked through the door and into The Dancing Bear, they stopped for a moment to survey the noisy, semi-dark room, and to take note of the people in it.

“Hotch, do you see what I think I see?” JJ didn’t want to point, but was fairly certain he was looking in the same direction she was.

“Popular place,” Hotch commented as he noticed Reid sitting at a table at the far side of the room while Rossi made his way towards a group of men sitting at a table located in the center of the room.

“And we will?” JJ waited for Hotch’s instructions.

“Just wait here and see what happens,” Hotch leisurely leaned against the bar.

“What can I get you folks?” the bartender had walked over.

Hotch was busy watching the room, so JJ took it upon herself to answer. “Something diet?” she requested.

The bartender noticed who they were watching. “Let me guess,” he ventured. “You’re with them?”

“Maybe,” Hotch treated the man to one of his infamous glares.

“Your drinks are coming right up.” The bartender retreated to the far end of the bar.

Rossi didn’t waste any time making his way across the room, and soon was standing next to a table occupied by several large men.

He fixed his stare on his person of interest and quickly gained the man’s attention. “You probably don’t remember me, Anatoli, but the name is Rossi – David Rossi,” he told him.

“David Rossi?” the man attempted to sound innocuous. “And, why might I remember you?” A twitch in his left eye signaled his uneasiness.

“Because, Anatoli, I think I have something you might be interested in,” Rossi stated. “And, I think we should discuss it in private.”

With a flick of his wrist, the Russian dismissed the other men at the table and Rossi took one of the chairs.

“I am letting you stay because you intrigue me. And, it is Anthony,” the man stated. “What could you possibly have that I might be interested in?” His eye was twitching harder and his fingers were intertwining with each other.

“I think you already know,” Rossi replied. “Otherwise, why would you send your friends away? But, if you aren’t interested in continuing this conversation – “ he began to stand up.

“Stay!” Anthony’s response came quickly. “If you are speaking of the item I suspect you are, it has already cost my father his life. And, there are others out there who are just as anxious as I am to get it back.”

Rossi sat back down. “You were working in your father’s store that day and sold it to me by mistake,” he told the man. “Am I right?”

“You are,” Anthony confirmed. “I was filling in for my father while he was running some errands, when you came in. I had seen you come in earlier in the week and assumed that you had been checked out. So, I brought out the necklace, not knowing why my father had stashed it under the counter.”

“And afterwards?” Rossi asked.

“When it was discovered that you worked for the FBI, nobody was happy,” Anthony remembered. “That was when my father disappeared.”

“But, as far as I know, no one ever came after me to try to get the necklace back,” Rossi observed.

“I don’t know all the details,” Anthony told him. “But, I believe you were followed for some time afterwards. However, when nothing happened, they assumed that the necklace’s ‘secret’ had not been discovered, and the surveillance was discontinued. I suspect the people involved were expecting a blackmail demand.”

“Which never came,” Rossi stated. “Instead, I put the necklace into a safety deposit box.”

“And, someone was put into place at the bank,” the Russian replied. “Where someone still is.”


	53. Chapter 53

As Rossi ‘chatted’ with his new/old acquaintance, Reid made a call to Garcia.

“What have you found out about the bank’s employees?” was his first question.

“Many things, my most favorite genius,” the tech replied. “First off, it probably won’t surprise you to find out that many of them have Russian antecedents. However, what you will probably find most interesting is the fact that one last name appears not only on the list of bank employees but also on the list of hospital employees that Evelyn gave Kevin.”

“And that name is?” Reid knew Garcia liked to be encouraged.

“The last name is Datsyuk,” Garcia told him. “At the bank, the first name is Lauren and at the hospital the first name is Gregory. It appears he is a therapist there.”

“The connection is?” Reid asked.

“Brother and sister,” Garcia confirmed. 

“So, that’s how Evelyn was targeted,” Reid assumed. “They found out about Evelyn’s financial situation and also guessed that Rossi was planning to get the necklace out of his safe deposit box.”

Reid had seen Hotch and JJ come through the front door of The Dancing Bear and take up places standing at the bar. Now he recognized yet another person who was coming from the kitchen area and walking the length of the area behind the bar towards the bartender.

“Garcia, I also need you to check out another woman at the bank,” he spoke hurriedly. “She is a teller and her first name is Yulia. I don’t have a last name. I have to go now, but I’ll check in again in a couple of minutes for a further update.”

Closing his cell phone, Reid put it in his pocket and slowly stood up. Hugging the back wall of the room, he stealthily moved towards the bar area where his prey was now standing, talking with the bartender. 

Hotch noticed Reid’s movements and nudged JJ. When she looked over at him, he nodded towards Reid and then began moving down the bar towards the young man Reid had targeted. JJ, meanwhile, took a position blocking the front door.

Suddenly, the young man looked up and noticed Hotch approaching. As he turned to flee through the kitchen door, he saw Reid coming towards him. A look at the front door revealed JJ waiting there. Resignedly, he put his hands in the air and waited to see what was going to happen.


	54. Chapter 54

Amanda and Lena took their time reviewing food options with Agent Bedford. “This shouldn’t take me too long to prepare,” Amanda assured the agent once they had reached a decision. “Why don’t you come back to the kitchen after you have completed your rounds? You can keep an eye on the security camera monitors from there while you eat.”

Agent Bedford nodded his agreement. “Thank you, ma’am – Amanda. That will be just fine,” he assured her as he checked his weapon before walking out the front door.

When they got back to the kitchen, Amanda and Lena quickly prepared the food for the unsuspecting agent, and then Amanda turned to her daughter.

“Ready for this?” she asked.

“Ready!” Lena replied. “Let me check with the others.”

Lena hurried over to Rossi’s study where Garcia and Kevin were working.

“Agent Bedford is going to be joining mom and me in the kitchen shortly,” she reported. “Are you two ready?”

“Just let him try to get anything out of me!” Garcia replied. “I have more dodges than a game of dodge ball.”

“Likewise,” Kevin looked up and smiled at Lena.

When Agent Bedford arrived in the kitchen, he looked around. “Where is Agent Rossi?” he asked. “I thought he was in here with you.”

“Oh!” Amanda sounded surprised. “I’m sure he’s around here somewhere.”

“I didn’t see him anywhere when I made my rounds,” Agent Bedford continued.

“You know Dave,” Amanda confided. “He rarely stays in one place.”

“Particularly when he is writing,” Lena extemporized. “He likes to walk around when he has writer’s block.”

“If he’s working on a book, why are those two computer techs working in his study using his computer?” Bedford was getting suspicious. “Wasn’t Hotchner’s team taken off the case?”

With a glare at Amanda and Lena, the agent stormed across the hall and into the study.

“Hi There!” Garcia greeted him cheerily. “Back so soon?”

“Want to take a turn?” Kevin inquired, moving away from his laptop so the screen was clearly visible.

“What?” Bedford could see movement on the screen.

“We are competing in a role playing computer game!” Garcia declared with a disarming smile. “Are you familiar with **_World of Scary Trees_**?” She also turned her laptop screen so the agent could see it. “It involves fighting your way out of a haunted forest.”

“Where is Agent Rossi?” Bedford demanded.

“Agent Bedford,” Amanda walked into the study and began fussing at him. “Your food is getting cold! Why don’t you come back into the kitchen and eat while I try to locate Dave for you?”

“He’s gone, isn’t he?” Bedford accepted the inevitable. “I have heard stories about this team, but I never believed them! Now, I am going to be reprimanded and it’s going to go on my record!”

“Only if someone finds out,” Amanda pointed out. “Now, why don’t you come get something to eat? It’s almost time for Agent Anderson to get up and trade places with you. After that, Dave’s absence or non-presence becomes his problem.”

“Mom’s a really great cook,” Lena had followed Amanda into the study. “You don’t know what you are missing!”

“I will not be part of a deception!” Bedford declared.

“We aren’t asking you to be,” Amanda told him. “You are here to protect me and Lena, as well as to make sure Dave is safe, right?”

Bedford nodded in agreement.

“Well, you’re here protecting Lena and me and, seeing as how Dave is surrounded by a group of other agents, you can be sure he is well protected,” Amanda pointed out.

“And, as long as nobody asks any questions about who is where, you’re in the clear,” Garcia concluded.

“Anderson is still here, isn’t he?” Bedford questioned suspiciously.

“If those snores I heard upstairs a while ago are any indication, yes,” Amanda assured him.

“And, you said he will be getting up soon?” Bedford asked resignedly.

“Oh Yes!”


	55. Chapter 55

Reid moved quickly, slipping behind the bar and discretely putting handcuffs on the young man he had spotted. As he turned the man around to face him, Reid verified that he was indeed one of the two that had invaded Rossi’s house, several hours earlier. 

“This is your lucky day,” he told the man. “You get to see Agent Rossi and me twice in less than 12 hours. And, if you are really lucky, you will get to see Agents Anderson and Williams again, too.”

“Please,” the young man asked. “I didn’t mean anything by it. We were just trying to help his father.” He nodded towards the center of the room. 

Reid looked over to where Rossi was sitting with a man he now recognized as Anthony Mayes. “His father?” he questioned. 

“Yes,” the young man replied. “John’s father.”

“Gregory!” Anthony Mayes had noticed that something was going on in the bar area. He stood up and, followed by Rossi, lumbered his way across the room to where the other agents were standing. “What is going on?”

“Mr. Mayes,” Hotch also recognized the man. “I am SSA Aaron Hotchner of the FBI and this is Dr. Reid and Agent Jareau. I believe you already know Agent Rossi.” He discretely showed his credentials.

“Gregory, what is going on?” Anthony demanded again. “Are you and John mixed up in something?”

“We were just trying to help you, Mr. Mayes, Sir,” Gregory replied. “John thought that – “

“Stop!” the man held up his hand. He looked at the agents. “I think this had best be discussed in private,” he declared. “There is a room in the back here we can use or we can go across the street to my shop.”

“Or, we can go – “ Hotch stopped as he realized that they couldn’t take the two men back to the BAU office. 

“I think the room here will suffice,” Rossi spoke up.


	56. Chapter 56

“So, now we know that there are even more players in the game then we originally suspected,” Blake commented as Morgan drove away from the metal reclamation center.

“And, if Perkins is involved, you can be sure that they are some pretty heavy hitters,” Morgan added as he pulled the truck to the curb. “Let’s see what Garcia has been able to find out.” 

He pulled out his cell phone and pushed a familiar number. “How is my most favorite technical analysis this afternoon?” he purred into the phone.

“Great, seeing as how I am busy eating and visiting with your favorite girlfriend,” was Garcia’s reply. “As well as with ‘what’s his name’,” she added belatedly.

“Derek? Are you okay?” Lena’s voice came over the phone, bringing a smile to Morgan’s face.

“I’m just fine now that I know my two favorite ladies are together in one place!” he exclaimed. “However, as much as I am enjoying my mental picture of the two of you sharing lunch, I do have some questions I need answers to.”

“Ask away!” Lena cheerfully instructed him. “I am sure Penelope can help you.”

“And me, too,” Morgan and Blake heard Kevin in the background.

“Boris Antipov?” Morgan started. “What have you found on him?”

“Oh Boy!” Garcia told him. “It seems that that man has been around for quite awhile. Not only has Richard Wilson’s group over at Organized Crime been keeping an eye on him, but also Homeland Security, the CIA, and you name it.”

“Begin at the beginning, please,” Blake requested.

“Okay,” Garcia paused to swallow whatever it was she was eating. “This guy is one of the founding fathers of the local Russian mob. He has been a member since the opening shots were fired – literally. He began as a ‘fixer’ and gradually worked his way up the organization until he is now ‘The Head Honcho’.”

“Don’t let anyone tell you that upward mobility no longer exists,” Blake commented dryly.

“And, as for that metal reclamation center you visited,” Garcia continued. “It is owned by a holding company which is owned by another holding company, which is owned by another, etc., etc. Ultimately, however, it all comes back to Boris Antipov. He is the last and final owner.”

“Okay, Baby Girl,” Morgan broke in. “Can you give me some idea of what exactly this Russian mob is involved in?”

“Another long list,” Garcia replied. “Extortion, prostitution, human trafficking, making people disappear – You name it.” 

“Just out of curiosity,” Blake spoke up. “Can you tell if the metal reclamation center is used as the headquarters for the mob or whether they have another location they use for that?”

“A very good question. Let me check.” The agents could hear Garcia keyboarding. 

“You might try Boris’s home,” she suggested. “You already have the address. I sent it to you earlier.”


	57. Chapter 57

Rossi, along with Reid, Hotch and JJ, were sitting around a table in the back room of The Dancing Bear speaking with Anthony Mayes and Gregory. Reid had removed the handcuffs from Gregory, who was rubbing his wrists while shooting poisonous looks at the young agent.

After exchanging looks with Hotch, Rossi began the questioning.

“So, you sold me the necklace by mistake,” he addressed Anthony. “And, then ‘someone’ was very upset.”

“Can you tell us who that was?” JJ asked.

“I could, but I had better not,” was the reply. “My father disappeared after that and I don’t care to join him.”

“However, as long as the necklace was secure and no blackmail demands were being made, it was decided to leave things alone,” Hotch guessed.

“That’s right,” the Russian confirmed. “Although, eyes were put into place to keep track of it.”

“And then nothing happened until about ten days ago,” Reid spoke up.

“That’s when I visited my safe deposit box,” Rossi supplied. “And you got a call from your set of ‘eyes’.”

“And, that’s when you got involved,” JJ addressed the comment to Gregory.

“Actually, my friend, John, is the one who started it,” Gregory quickly defended himself. “It was his idea. I just wanted to see how the technology worked.”

“My son,” Anthony explained. “He knew I was worried and, I suspect, he started making arrangements in an attempt to help me.”

“Technology?” JJ questioned. “You mean the bug hidden in Evelyn’s hairclip.”

“And the bomb hidden under my car,” Rossi added.

 **“Bomb? No Way Man!!!”** Gregory exploded. “I don’t know anything about any bomb! The bug in the hairclip and breaking into your house – Yes. Bomb – **NO!”**

“That must be the other group,” Reid commented. “We need to track them down, too.”

“Break into your house?” Hotch questioned, looking at Rossi.

“Not important,” Rossi assured him. “Right now, I want to know how you targeted Evelyn.” He turned his attention back to Gregory.

“It was at the hospital,” Gregory confessed. “I am a therapist there and one afternoon I noticed her in the waiting area. I could tell she was upset, and I asked one of the clerks about her. Then, I spoke with John. He is the one who contacted her on her cell phone.”

“Where is your son?” Hotch turned to Anthony.

“I don’t know exactly, but he will be here shortly!” the Russian replied as he took out his cell phone and pushed a button.

“Ivan,” he spoke into his phone. “Where are you? Just coming through the door? Good! You can come straight through to the backroom. We need to talk.”

The Russian clicked off his phone. “My son is on his way.”


	58. Chapter 58

Morgan drove his truck slowly past the address Garcia had sent him. “So, this is what a Russian mobster’s home looks like,” Blake observed as she surveyed the high walls and manicured grounds. “There definitely is a high-level security system in place.”

“You need to be cleared via the security camera and the intercom before you are allowed through the front gate,” Morgan commented. “And, it appears that the grounds are patrolled. My guess would be by guards with dogs.”

They came to a fork in the road, and Morgan expertly executed a three-point turn. “Let’s take another look.”

“The car we saw at the metal reclamation center seems to be parked at the front door,” Blake told him as they cruised by the estate a second time. “He must have come straight back here.”

“Sunday dinner with the family?” Morgan suggested.

“Or business,” Blake nodded at a nondescript dark late model sedan coming down the road towards them. 

“That does match the general description of the car Rossi saw tailing him on Friday,” Morgan observed.

“And the one Anderson managed to shake,” Blake added. “Let me see if I can get a plate number.”

“I think I am having trouble with my back tire,” Morgan announced as he pulled onto the shoulder of the road and put his truck into ‘Park’.

The sedan slowed slightly as it passed the agents’ truck, but continued on until it reached the drive leading into Boris Antipov’s estate. After a brief conversation over the intercom, the gate opened and the car pulled inside.

“Did you get a good look?” Morgan asked.

“Yes!” Blake assured him as she began dialing her cell phone. She hesitated a moment before adding, “It looked like they had several passengers in the back seat. I couldn’t see clearly with the tinted windows.”

“That’s what I thought,” Morgan agreed. “And, for some reason, they looked familiar.”

“Garcia,” Blake spoke into her phone. “I have another license plate I would like you to trace.”

It didn’t take long before Garcia responded, “The proud owner of that particular license plate is - Yuri Lubenski.”

“The same person who was the previous owner of Rossi’s necklace?” Blake questioned. 

“That’s right. And, he is also on another list - That of persons currently under surveillance by The Organized Crime Unit,” Garcia confirmed.

“You’re at Boris Antipov’s house?” she questioned further.

“That’s right,” Morgan confirmed. “Have you found anything more on him?”

“I did find something,” Kevin’s voice broke in. “There is a woman, Yulia Antipov, who works at Rossi’s bank. Reid asked about her and from what I can determine she is a niece of Boris’s.”

“So, that’s his contact at the bank,” Morgan suggested. 

“One more thing,” Blake added. “Have you or anyone else heard from Beth lately?”

“Not that I know of,” Garcia replied. “Why?”

“This is going to sound crazy,” Blake told her. “But there were several people in the back seat of that car and, now that I think of it, one of them resembled Beth.”

“Let me check!!!”


	59. Chapter 59

“Hello, John,” Rossi greeted the young man as he walked into the backroom at The Dancing Bear. “Nice of you to join us. Have a seat.” He pulled out a chair at the table.

“This is your lucky day,” he continued after John had sat down. “You get to have another visit with both Dr. Reid and myself.”

The young man gulped and looked over at Gregory. “Don’t look at me, man,” Gregory told him. “This was your idea!”

“And, why don’t you tell us about it?” Anthony growled at his son.

“Well,” John gulped. “I did it all for you, Pop.”

“For me?” his father questioned.

“Yes! I have heard for years about how that necklace was the bane of your existence and the reason for Grandpa’s disappearance. And, about how you needed to have it destroyed because if what it contained ever came out, all our lives would be ruined. So, when I saw the chance to get my hands on it, I did my best to come up with a workable plan. That’s all!”

“Okay,” Rossi interrupted. “We already know most of the details of your plan. What we still don’t know is how you targeted Kevin.”

“Yes, how did he end up on your radar?” Hotch questioned.

John exchanged a look with Gregory and both the men smirked. “Kevin joined a computer gaming group we belong to,” Gregory explained. “Apparently he had just broken up with his girlfriend and was obviously looking for female companionship. He was always talking about how he worked for the FBI and the BAU, so one day I casually asked whether he was acquainted with the famous author, David Rossi. He quickly assured me he was on a first name basis with the man. That’s when we started tracking him.”

“It wasn’t hard,” John took over the story. “That guy doesn’t have much of a life outside of work. We already had Evelyn waiting in the wings and, when he started talking about the awards banquet, it wasn’t hard to push her in his direction.”

“And, when Lauren called from the bank, you knew everything was going to work out,” Rossi filled in.

Hotch glanced down as his cell phone rang. “I have to get this.” He stood up and walked to a corner of the room.

“Garcia?” he answered the call.

“It is I, Boss Man,” was the reply. “And, I have a very important question to ask you.”

“Okay!” Hotch wasn’t expecting what came next.

“Have you heard from Beth lately?”


	60. Chapter 60

“Beth?” Hotch felt a cold shiver travel down his spine. “Why are you asking about Beth?”

“It’s just that Morgan and Blake asked me to check on her,” Garcia replied. “They think they may have seen something.”

“At the metal reclamation center?” Hotch questioned.

“Oh, No!” Garcia told him. “Sorry - They moved on to checking out Boris Antipov’s home. He’s the owner of the center. They saw a car pulling into the drive there and thought they saw someone and/or something in the back seat. They called me, and I tried to reach Beth.”

“You didn’t get an answer,” Hotch guessed.

“No. That’s why I called you,” Garcia replied. “I thought maybe you had heard from her.”

“No, I haven’t,” Hotch was trying to remain calm. 

“Can you send the address to my phone?” he continued. “I have JJ, Rossi, and Reid with me. We’ll go over there and meet up with Morgan and Blake. And, please keep trying Beth’s cell.”

“Consider it done. However, there is one more thing, Sir,” Garcia continued.

“What?” Hotch was walking back towards the table.

“The car that Morgan and Blake saw pull into the drive?” Garcia began. “It is registered to Yuri Lubenski. And, he is on the Organized Crime Group’s watch list.” 

“Okay – Thanks Garcia!” Hotch told her as he looked around at the other people at the table.

“I have one more question for you.” Hotch addressed Anthony Mayes.

The Russian gulped. “Yes?”

“How are Boris Antipov and Yuri Lubenski linked to all this?”


	61. Chapter 61

“They might have an – Interest – In the information contained in the necklace,” Anthony Mayes said circumspectly.

“Why are you asking about them?” Rossi asked. “Aaron, what is going on?”

“They were both included on the list I deciphered,” Reid spoke up. “Does this have anything to do with that?”

“They might have taken Beth,” Hotch told them. “Morgan and Blake thought they saw her in the back of Yuri Lubenski’s car as it pulled into Boris Antipov’s estate, and nobody can reach her on her cell. If they do have her – “

“You’ve tried calling?” Rossi asked taking out his phone. “Let me try.”

“If they do have Beth, what can we expect them to do?” JJ asked Anthony.

“If you cooperate quickly and agree to his demands, she may be returned unharmed,” was the response. “If not – “ His grimace was enough of an answer.

“Okay,” Hotch told his team. “Garcia is sending me the address of the house and we are going over there. According to her, Morgan and Blake are already in the area. JJ, will you call them and tell them we are coming? I want to keep my line open.”

“Also,” Hotch took a deep breath. “Reid, if you will call Garcia and ask her to put a trace on my cell phone. Just in case – “

“No problem,” JJ and Reid responded in unison as they pulled out their phones.

“Now, as for you,” Rossi glared at Anthony, John, and Gregory as he put his cell phone away. “I expect you will all remain within calling distance. We may be able to keep you out of this because no real damage has been done. But, if we do need you – “ 

“We will be either here or across the street at my shop,” Anthony assured him.


	62. Chapter 62

JJ insisted on driving Hotch to the meeting spot Morgan suggested. He spent the entire trip sitting next to her staring at his cell phone, willing it to ring. As she pulled into the parking lot designated for their meeting, JJ noticed that Morgan’s truck was already parked there and that Rossi and Reid’s vehicle was close behind her.

“Okay, what do we have?” Hotch was all business as he climbed out of the vehicle.

“Boris Antipov’s house is just down the road,” Morgan began. 

“Let’s begin at the beginning,” Blake interrupted him. “Morgan and I were checking out the metal reclamation center when Agent Perkins of Homeland Security chased us off. We then came over here to take a look at his house. As we were doing our second pass, we saw a car coming towards us which matched the description of the car that tailed both Rossi and Anderson. So, we pulled over onto the shoulder of the road to look like we had a problem with our back tire.”

“When the car went past, it appeared that there were several people in the back seat. Upon further consideration, we think one of those people may have been Beth.”

“You said Homeland Security has the reclamation center under surveillance?” Reid questioned. “Is it possible they are also watching the house?”

“That is possible,” Morgan pulled out his cell phone and pushed a well-used button.

“Baby Girl? Do you know anyone over at Homeland Security?” he spoke into the phone. “No? Well, does Kevin know anyone?”

“Morgan?” they could hear Kevin’s voice over the phone. “What do you need?”

“I need to know if Homeland is keeping Boris Antipov’s house under surveillance,” Morgan told him. “Can you find out?”

“Let me make a call,” Kevin responded. “I know someone.”

“Oh, Shit,” Rossi abruptly exclaimed. He pulled out his cell phone and pushed a button. 

“Amanda and Lana,” he explained to the rest of the team. “If they got Beth, maybe someone decided to see if they could also get - Hello? Amanda?”

He visibly drew a deep breath of relief. “Thank heavens! Are both of you okay?”

“No – No – Nothing. But, could you let me speak with Bedford or Anderson or whoever is on duty?”

Morgan could hardly contain his smirk as Rossi’s face reflected the tongue-lashing he was receiving over the phone.

“Yes, Agent Bedford, I know and I am sorry!” Rossi apologized. “But, right now, I need to tell you something. YES! Okay – Okay – Now just shut up and listen!”

Rossi took a deep breath. “There is a possibility that a – female friend – of Agent Hotchner’s has been kidnapped,” he explained. “And, I need you and Anderson to double check my security system to make sure it is turned on and working properly. Then, keep an extra close eye on Amanda and Lena. There is a possibility that they may also be targets. Okay? Thanks!”

He snapped his phone shut. “Okay,” he declared. “What do we know about the house and how we are going to get in to rescue Beth?”


	63. Chapter 63

“Garcia,” Blake was already on her phone. “Can you get us the floor plans of Boris Antipov’s house?”

“We are looking specifically for any place where someone could be held prisoner,” Reid chimed in. “Some room or area that could be isolated and soundproofed.”

“What about the security system?” Morgan asked. “We’ll need to get past that first.”

“Okay, Guys,” Garcia broke into the conversation. “I may be Superwoman, but I can only handle one thing at a time, particularly when I am also monitoring a track and trace for Hotch’s cell phone. Since I have already started on it, let me work on the house while - Kevin -,” she sniffed his name. “Looks into the security system.”

“No problem!” Kevin spoke up. “I’ll get started while I wait for a call back from my contact at Homeland. Do you have any suggestions of what you need to know?”

“Well, Kevin,” Morgan started. “Earlier I saw a high stone wall, with security cameras, and dogs. Why don’t you see what you can - ”

Everyone turned and to look at Hotch as his cell phone rang.

“Hotch?” JJ said as he stared at his phone. “Aren’t you going to answer it?”

“Garcia,” Blake said. “This may be it - Are you ready to go?”

“Already going,” Garcia replied briskly. “Boss Man?”

Hotch took a deep breath as he pushed the answer button. “Hotchner.”

“Aaron?” Beth’s shaky voice came over the phone. “I don’t understand – What is going on?”

“Beth,” Hotch was working to keep his voice calm. “Are you okay?”

“I’m just fine,” Beth assured him. “However, they told me to tell you that you have something they want. They said that you would know what it is.”

“I know that this call is on speaker phone,” Hotch replied. “And, I want to talk to whoever is in charge – **NOW!** "

There was a moment of silence, and then a man’s voice came over the phone.

“Agent Hotchner?” it said. “As you know, we have your girlfriend. She is very pretty and very much alive, and I am sure you want her to stay that way. So, I expect you to follow our instructions to the letter.”

“I know what you want,” Hotch interrupted him. “However, as I am sure you realize, I can’t get my hands on it right away.”

“We are prepared to be reasonable,” the voice replied. “Therefore, we are giving you one hour to come up with a plan to obtain the object. We will contact you then and make arrangements for the trade.”

The phone went dead.

“Garcia,” Rossi spoke into his phone. “Did you get anything?”

“You should know better than to doubt me, My Favorite Italian,” Garcia sang out. “This was made considerably easier by the fact that I was pretty sure where the call was originating. I managed to trace the call by going backwards. And, before you ask, YES, the call did originate at Boris Antipov’s house.”

“Great!” JJ declared. “We are already here. Now, how do we get in?”


	64. Chapter 64

“Kevin?” Morgan called out into the phone. “What have you found on the security system?”

“Well, as you suspected there are security cameras and lighting on the grounds,” Kevin replied. “It also appears there are specialized locks on all outside doors. I have figured out how to cut the electricity to the estate. That will temporarily immobilize the security system until the emergency back-up kicks in.”

“That still leaves the guards and the dogs,” Blake observed.

“Dogs?” Reid was thinking. “Kevin, can you tell me where the dogs came from?”

“Where they came from? Let me check.” They could hear Kevin pushing keys on his computer. “Okay, there is a charge in the household accounts from a dog trainer, Marvin Henning from Morningside Kennels. It looks like he came in several weeks ago to update the dog’s training.”

“It was a professional trainer, then?” Reid questioned.

“Reid, what are you thinking?” Morgan recognized the look on Reid’s face.

“It’s just that most trainers use an ultrasonic whistle to train their charges,” Reid replied. “They are also known as silent or Galton's whistles, and they emit sounds in the ultrasonic range, which people can’t hear but animals can.”

“Okay?” Blake questioned.

“Well, I think those sounds can be transmitted over the phone,” Reid continued. “And, if Kevin can line up the right combination of short and long blasts, maybe we can neutralize the dogs long enough to get by them.”

“Now I remember why they call you a genius!” Rossi exclaimed as he gave Reid a hearty pat on the back.

“Kevin – Can you do that?” Hotch questioned.

“I would assume there is a standard code that all trainers use,” Kevin replied. “Give me a couple of minutes and let me see what I can find out.”

“Okay,” Morgan was thinking. “As far as the guards are concerned, I assume we can blitz them. After all, we will know where they are before they realize we are on the premises.”

“Now, about the house,” Hotch was sounding hopeful. 

“Garcia?” JJ asked. “What have you found on the house plans?”


	65. Chapter 65

“Okay, the house,” Garcia’s voice came over the phone. “I have the plans that were filed with the township when it was originally built. From what I can see, there is only one room that meets your requirements.”

“On the architect’s plans it is labeled as a Wine Cellar,” she continued. “It is located in the basement, near the rear of the house. Access appears to be through a door in the back wall of a home theater room down there. Of course, he may have built a separate building out back for his special purposes – Ugh!”

“Access to the basement?” JJ questioned.

“Two staircases,” Garcia reported. “One originates in the main hallway, about three quarters of the way down, on the left. The other starts in the kitchen area, close to the back door.”

“That’s the one we’ll aim for,” Hotch decided as he strapped on his Kevlar vest.

“Blake?” he could see the agent had some information to share.

“While we were waiting for you, Morgan and I did a quick check of the security wall around the estate,” she reported. “We located an isolated area that would be the ideal spot to go over. It’s not far from here.”

“Great!” Hotch told her. “Now – Morgan?”

“Just waiting on Kevin,” Morgan told him as he also strapped on his vest. “Once we know we can control the dogs – “

“Okay,” Hotch started delegating. “Rossi and Reid – You will go in first. Once you are sure the dogs are under control, signal to Morgan. Morgan and Blake –You need to get to the guards before it registers with them that there is a problem with the dogs. JJ – You’re with me. We’ll go in last, make our way to the back door, and get inside while the power is off. Once the others have caught up with us, we’ll move through the house and into the basement.”

“Vests on everyone!”

Reid’s cell phone rang and, after looking at the screen he answered. “Kevin? What have you found out? By the way, you are on Speaker.”

“It appears that there are some standard patterns of short and long whistles for training guard dogs,” Kevin reported. “Assuming that’s what the trainer used, it shouldn’t be any problem telling the dogs to sit and stay.”

“You are sure you can load the sounds onto your computer and then transmit them over the phone?” Rossi raised his voice to ask. “There are some parts of my anatomy I am rather attached to, you know.”

“No problem!” Kevin assured him. “I am loading them even as we speak!”

“And, you are all set to kill the power?” Morgan spoke up.

“I’m handling that!” Garcia’s voice came over the phone. “Just give me the signal. However, be forewarned that there is an emergency back-up system that will be coming on line fairly quickly.”

“Time frame, Garcia?” Blake asked.

“According to the manufacturer’s specs, approximately 90 seconds,” was the reply. “Although I may be able to buy you 5 to 10 seconds more.”

“Anything else we need to check on?” Hotch looked around at his team.

“Alright, let’s do this!”


	66. Chapter 66

The team moved quickly to the isolated area of the stone wall and then, with a boost from Morgan and Hotch, Reid and Rossi went over the wall first, followed closely by JJ and Blake. Hotch and Morgan brought up the rear.

“Kevin?” Reid had his phone set for speaker. “Are you ready?”

“Just say ‘When’,” Kevin assured him.

Rossi and Reid already could hear at least three dogs headed their way.

“Kevin, get ready!” Reid warned.

“Wait a minute or two longer,” Rossi counseled. “We need to make sure they stay down long enough for everyone to get by them.”

The team could now see four large, mixed-breed dogs closing in and Reid held his phone up in the air. “Kevin - ?” he warbled.

 **“Now!”** Rossi yelled.

All the agents could hear was a hissing noise coming from the phone, but the dogs skidded to a stop and began exchanging puzzled looks. As the dogs began confusedly milling around, Morgan and Blake began cautiously edging their way around them and heading in the direction of the house.

As they moved, Morgan pulled out his phone and pushed a button. “Garcia,” he said. “Are you all set to hit the power switch? What about - Now?”

As the lights flickered off on the surveillance cameras around the estate, one of the dogs gave a brief growl and looked as if he was going to head after the two agents.

“Nice doggies!” Reid warbled hesitantly.

“Again, Kevin,” Rossi ordered into the phone.

This time the dogs’ ears perked up and all four assumed a sitting position, giving their full attention to Rossi and Reid. With Hotch shielding JJ from the animals, the two of them moved quickly to follow Morgan and Blake across the yard.

“Stay!” Rossi ordered the dogs as he and Reid began edging their way around the animals and towards the house. They were rewarded by a pleading whine, as if the dogs were afraid they were being left out of a game of some sort.

 _“Nyet!”_ Rossi shook his finger at them. He and Reid then broke into a run across the yard.

When Rossi and Reid reached the back door of the house, they found the door open and the other team members waiting for them inside, out of range of the surveillance cameras.

“Guards?” Hotch was asking.

“We encountered two of them,” Blake reported. “They are currently unconscious, gagged, and tied up under some bushes.”

“Security System?” Rossi questioned.

Hotch gestured towards a box just inside the door. It was obvious that it had been pulled away from the wall and the wires disconnected.

As Morgan nodded his approval, JJ led the way further into the house.


	67. Chapter 67

“The plans Garcia sent us showed the staircase right about here,” JJ said as she stopped and looked at a closed door on her right. As everyone stood back, she cautiously tried the doorknob. Finding that it turned easily, she pushed the door open as she simultaneously moved out of the way to the left. 

Nothing happened, so Hotch stepped forward and shone his flashlight down the stairs. Motioning for the others to follow, he began slowly descending the stairs. When they arrived at the bottom, their flashlights revealed a large room furnished with theater seats. A movie screen covered the wall in front of them while a bar area took up most of the wall to their right. Turning to the right, they saw that the door they were looking for was behind them, next to the staircase.

Morgan carefully approached it and began examining the door and the frame. “A reinforced steel door and frame,” he noted. “And, there appears to be an electronic security lock in place. My guess would be that it works off a battery pack.”

“How do we get around it?” Hotch asked anxiously.

“Can we get around it?” Blake got right to the point.

“Let me check something,” Morgan replied, taking out his cell phone. “Baby Girl? I have the make and model of a lock I need you to check on. I need to figure out how to open it.”

Suddenly, there was movement at the top of the stairs. “Do you remember leaving this door open?” a man’s voice asked.

“No. It must have swung open during the blackout,” a second man’s voice replied.

“Funny thing about that blackout,” the first voice commented. “It didn’t seem to affect any of the neighbors. It appears that they still have power.”

“Oh, well, your back-up system seems to be handling things just fine,” the second voice told him. “And, the dogs are on the grounds just in case.”

“Call you back,” Morgan hurriedly told Garcia as he turned off his phone.

As footsteps began coming down the stairs, the team scattered, looking for places to hide. Reid and JJ dove for spaces between the theater seats near the front of the room, where they could watch the staircase, while Morgan, Blake, Rossi, and Hotch all huddled behind the bar. 

“The dogs?” the first voice commented. “Now that you mention them, I haven’t heard them in a while. When we are done here, I had probably better check with their handler.”

The two men reached the bottom of the stairs and the agents heard a slight click as the security lighting came on in the room. When Blake slowly peeked around the end of the bar, she could see the two men standing in front of the door Morgan had been examining, and recognized them as Boris Antipov and the workman she and Morgan had spoken to at the metal reclamation center.

“It’s just about time to make a phone call!” Boris declared looking at his watch.


	68. Chapter 68

Boris Antipov quickly dealt with the electronic lock and gave the door a push. It swung inward and both men disappeared into the darkened room. Before the door could completely close, however, Morgan dashed from behind the bar and jammed a stack of cardboard coasters between the bottom of the door and the frame, preventing it from closing completely.

“Hello Ms. Clemmons,” they could hear Boris’s voice. “I trust you are enjoying your stay with us.”

Hotch bristled and started to move forward as he heard Beth’s muffled response. However, Morgan put a restraining hand on his arm to hold him back.

“How careless of me,” Boris continued. “Allow me to remove your gag.”

“Do you think you are going to get away with this?” Beth’s voice rang out. “My boyfriend is in the FBI and he will get you.”

“I don’t think so,” Boris replied. “I rather think Agent Hotchner is going to be willing to do whatever it takes to get you back alive.”

“Or so we hope,” the other man contributed. “I really do hate to think of what it will entail if he doesn’t.”

“And, you can save your breath if you are planning on screaming,” Boris continued. “The only people currently in this house are the three of us.”

“Ouch!” the second man’s voice rang out. “She kicked me!”

“Serves you right for getting too close,” Boris commented calmly. “Now, my dear Ms. Clemmons, I have your phone out and I am going to call your boyfriend, Agent Hotchner. If you want to speak with him, I am going to have to get closer to you.”

“Now, if you kick me, you lose your opportunity to speak with him,” he continued. “Or, if you say something other than what I tell you to say, you not only lose your opportunity, you will probably lose your life. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” the team heard Beth mutter.

“Good, then, let me dial.”

Unexpectedly, Hotch’s cell phone began to ring – Loudly. Swearing under his breath, he pulled it out of his pocket and tried to silence it. But, even as he pushed the button, he knew it was too late. Boris and his associate had undoubtedly heard it.


	69. Chapter 69

Deciding that a direct approach was called for, Hotch pulled out his weapon and strode forward, pushing open the door to the small room where Beth was being held captive. He was greeted with startled looks from both Boris and his associate.

“You rang?” Hotch stated blandly as he held his gun where they could both see it.

“Agent Hotchner,” Boris was trying to hide his surprise. “Didn’t your mother ever teach you that it’s bad manners to drop in uninvited?” He closed up Beth’s cell phone and placed it on a small table.

“We didn’t think we needed an invitation,” Morgan, with his weapon also drawn, walked up behind Hotch.

“We felt that an engraved invitation would be superfluous,” Blake added as she joined them.

“NO!” Hotch warned as he saw Boris’ associate reach for his weapon. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

“Just take your gun out, slowly and carefully, and place it on the floor in front of you,” Morgan advised the man. “And, that goes for you, too,” he addressed Boris.

“Now, move away from Beth,” Hotch continued the instructions once the guns were on the floor. 

As the two men moved to the side of the small room, Blake hurried forward and kicked the guns away before untying Beth from the chair she had been sitting in. 

“Aaron!” Beth gasped as she struggled to stand up.

“Right here,” Hotch hurried over to support her. 

“Why don’t you take her outside?” Blake suggested. “I think Morgan and I can handle things in here.”

As Hotch helped Beth walk out of the room, Reid and JJ joined the group holding Boris and his associate captive.

“We probably should tie them up,” JJ suggested. “Or at least restrain them somehow.”

“There are several chairs in here,” Reid pointed out as he reached down and picked up the two guns. “Anyone have any objection to tying them up and interrogating them in here?”

“None that I can think of.”


	70. Chapter 70

When Hotch got Beth out into the theater room, the first thing he did was ease her into one of the seats. He then sat down next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and holding her. Rossi hurried behind the bar, got a bottle of water from the refrigerator located there, and handed it to her.

“Aaron,” he spoke with his boss while Beth drank. “I have been thinking.”

“And?” Hotch looked up at him.

“I should probably better get out of here before either of them sees me,” Rossi nodded towards the small room where the captives were. “Right now, they don’t know I am here and, if I leave before anyone else arrives, no one needs to know that I ever left my house.”

“Trying to keep Bedford’s record clean?” Hotch suggested with a slight smile.

“Well, it was kind of a dirty trick we played on him,” Rossi confirmed. “And, I would hate to see a good agent get in trouble because of it.”

“You’re planning on taking one of the Bureau’s SUVs?” Hotch guessed.

“That was my plan,” Rossi confirmed. “To just make like ‘The Grey Ghost’ and disappear.”

 **“GO!”** Hotch nodded towards the door. “Just make sure you have your phone out in case Kevin needs to call off the dogs again!”


	71. Chapter 71

Blake and Reid had just finished securing the two Russians to chairs, when Morgan’s cell phone rang.

“Kevin?” he answered after checking the screen. “What did you find out?”

He paused for a moment before responding, “I thought that might be the case. Why don’t you get back with your contact at Homeland and have them tell their surveillance team that we have two prisoners in the basement, restrained and ready for pick-up?”

“You might also want to assure them that we have all the probable cause necessary for issuing a search warrant. Okay – Thanks!” Morgan clicked off his phone.

“Let me guess,” Blake began. “Homeland does have this house under surveillance.”

“And, they are not going to be happy that we got in without their knowing about it,” JJ contributed.

“Right on both counts,” Morgan grinned. “And, I think we can safely assume that they are on their way. However, before they get here, I have some questions we need answered.” He glared at the two prisoners.

“I want my lawyer!” Boris demanded. “NOW!”

“Me, too,” his associate added.

“Well, maybe you’ll get your lawyer and maybe you won’t,” Morgan told them.

“If this is deemed to be a matter of national security, your access to legal council may be restricted,” Reid explained.

“However, if you cooperate – “ JJ let the suggestion dangle.

“It’s nothing earth shattering,” Morgan explained. “I just want to verify that you, and/or your associates, are the ones responsible for trailing Agents Rossi and Anderson, and for putting the bomb under Agent Rossi’s car.”

The two Russians exchanged looks. 

“Let me help you out here,” Blake suggested. “You heard that Rossi had visited the bank and gone into his safe deposit box.”

“So, you decide that maybe you should keep an eye on him,” Reid continued.

“And, you also just happened to have some spare bomb parts lying around,” Morgan added.

“So - ?” JJ concluded.

“Yeah –That’s essentially right,” Boris agreed. “After my ‘associate’ called from the bank, I put one of my guys onto Rossi. Later, I had another – Old acquaintance – Deal with his vehicle while it was in the hotel’s parking lot. Then, when that didn’t work, I had the woman wearing the necklace followed.”

“Now,” he looked at Morgan. “Does that get me consideration for being cooperative?”

They could hear the sounds of several people coming down the basement steps.

“I don’t know,” Morgan smirked. “Seeing as how it isn’t me that you need to be cooperative with.”


	72. Chapter 72

“So, Rossi had already left before Perkins and his associates from Homeland Security arrived?” Blake questioned later as the team stood talking in the theater room.

“Yeah,” Hotch smirked. “He said he wanted to be like ‘The Grey Ghost’ and just disappear into the distance. In reality, he wanted to prevent Agent Bedford from getting reprimanded.”

“You do know that the term ‘Grey Ghost’ can refer to one of several people,” Reid began his recitation. “The most well-knowing being John Mosby, a Confederate partisan during the Civil War. Another is a character from the Batman -- “

“Reid – Spencer,” Blake interrupted, putting her finger across his lips to silence him. “Why don’t you come home with me? We can order takeout and you can tell me all about it there?” 

“Okay,” Reid readily agreed as the team headed up the stairs. “Chinese or Thai?”

“Who is going with whom?” JJ questioned when they arrived at the back door.

“Well, Rossi took one of the Bureau vehicles,” Hotch told her. “I was planning on taking Beth home with me in the other one.” He smiled at her and put his arm protectively around her.

“After you drop me off, that is,” JJ specified.

“And, I will drop Blake and Reid off at Blake’s place,” Morgan concluded. 

“Aaron,” Beth looked up at him. “Let’s go home!”


	73. Chapter 73

Monday morning, Rossi was busy in his study. He had already arranged to have the day off since he had planned on Amanda being there, but his plans definitely had not included spending the morning on the phone with Agent Williams. 

“What do you mean you don’t know when you will be able to get the necklace back to me?” he thundered at the agent while pacing around the room. “You already removed the microdot. What else do you need?”

“Yes, I know. But, face it, all that information has got to be outdated after all these years,” he continued. “And, I don’t care if you scrub the engraving off the pedal, just as long as you don’t damage the piece!”

“So, how long is that going to take?” he questioned further. “No – That is not acceptable! That is private property and I want it returned ASAP!”

He looked up and smiled at Amanda as she came into the room carrying a tray with coffee for both of them.

“Okay – Okay! But it had better be in acceptable condition when I get it back!” He concluded the conversation and snapped his phone shut.

“Bureaucrats!” he exclaimed to Amanda. “All I want is my necklace back in one piece!” 

“Calm down, Dave,” she counseled. “I am sure they are doing the best they can.”

“Well, my publisher is throwing their yearly author’s reception and dinner in New York in several weeks, and I need it back before then so you can wear it,” Rossi explained, giving her a fond smile.

“Dave, I’m not used to wearing expensive things like that!” Amanda protested.

“Get used to it,” he advised. “When I go out with a beautiful woman I want her to be wearing beautiful things, and I intend to be taking you out a lot!”

He sat down on the couch next to her. “Am I imagining things or are we finally alone?” he asked as he put his arm around her. “And, before we go any further, I need you to tell me what happened after I got home last night. I was pretty wiped out.”

“Yes, you were,” Amanda laughed. “You went upstairs saying you were going to take a shower and the next thing I knew you were asleep on your bed!”

“Okay,” she took a deep breath. “First Kevin left to go help Evelyn and her family move back home. Despite the fact that she played him, he really does seem to like her. I hope he’s not disappointed. And then, after Anderson and Bedford were officially relieved of guard duty, Garcia and Lana left together to go over to Garcia’s place. Garcia had received a call from someone named Sam telling her that he is back in town. They were planning on doing some sort of couples thing with Lana and Morgan. Now, it’s your turn to tell me everything!”


	74. Chapter 74

“So, you broke up a Russian spy ring or, actually, two spy rings?” Amanda asked after Rossi finished his review of the case.

“More like a group of old, left-overs from the cold war, plus some new entities trying to protect their families and their reputations,” Rossi confirmed as he reached over to refill their coffee cups.

“Still, just like James Bond!” Amanda smiled seductively at him as she accepted her coffee cup from him.

“The name is Rossi, David Rossi.” Rossi smiled back. “I still can’t believe I used that old line.”

“Who can blame you?” Amanda asked. “Russian spies, gorgeous jewels, a beautiful young lady – Tell me more!”

“I like my scotch 18 years old – Not 17 years, not 19 years – 18 years,” Rossi intoned as he raised his cup. “One ice cube only. And, if you will just put you finger in and stir it –“ Both of them broke down in laughter.

“And, the young lady involved wasn’t even close to being as beautiful as the lady I am currently with,” Rossi continued, looking at Amanda.

“Flatterer!” she accused him.

“I can deal with that.” Rossi put his coffee cup down before moving closer, putting his arms around her, and burying his face in her neck.

“I think every bone in my body is turning to jelly,” Amanda replied as she returned his attentions.

“I like jelly!” Rossi assured her as he moved on to kissing her lips.

“I don’t think I can make it up the stairs in my current state,” Amanda warned him several minutes later.

“No problem there,” Rossi assured her. He suddenly stopped his attentions, pulled back, and looked at Amanda.

“Just checking, Morgan is taking Lena back to school?” he asked.

“Yes,” Amanda smiled. “She already called and told me that they left from Garcia’s place this morning and are on their way.”

“So, that leaves us – “ Rossi wrapped his arms around her, again pulled her close.

“And, I no longer have to set a good example,” Amanda leaned into him to share yet another kiss.

“A good example?” Rossi smirked at her.

“At the moment, I intend to be a very bad example,” Amanda responded as she stood up, took his hand, and began leading the way up the stairs.

That same Monday morning, Strauss was sitting in a meeting with the heads of several other FBI Departments, as well as representatives of Homeland Security. When it concluded, she returned to her office, still wearing her ‘Game Face’. Once her door had closed and she was alone, she grinned. It seemed that Agent Hotchner’s team had again over-stepped their boundaries. The problem was that David Rossi had been conspicuously absent, which definitely did not seem like him. She may not be a profiler, but it certainly appeared that further investigation was called for. With a thoughtful look on her face, she picked up her phone.

**FINI!**

* * *

**Surprise!  I finally reached the end of this tale.  I want to thank everyone who has stayed with me throughout the twists and turns.  I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.  And, a special 'Thank You' to everyone who was kind enough to comment or to send 'Kudos'.  They are much appreciated!**

 


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